Arrest Warrant in Bangladesh: What It Means and What to Do Now

In this guide: Why warrants are issued · Bailable and non-bailable warrants · Surrender, bail and recall · If you keep avoiding it: proclamation and attachment

The short answer

A warrant of arrest is a written order of the court, signed and sealed, telling the police to arrest a named person (section 75 CrPC). Courts issue it when an accused does not appear after summons, when bail is cancelled, or in serious cases at the start. It stays in force until the police execute it or the court cancels it, and it can be executed anywhere in Bangladesh.

The practical answer is the same in most cases: do not wait. Ask a lawyer to check the case record, then surrender before the same court with a bail application, or apply for the warrant to be recalled if you missed a date for a genuine reason.

Why warrants are issued

• Absence after summons: you did not appear on the date in a summons case.
• Missed hearing on bail: you were on bail but missed a date; the court may also cancel your bail.
• Serious offences: in non-bailable cases the court may issue a warrant when it takes cognizance.
• Civil and money cases: courts can also issue civil warrants in execution, for example in some Artha Rin or decree cases.

Bailable and non-bailable warrants

Under section 76 CrPC, the court can endorse a warrant so that the police release you on a bond once arrested. That is called a bailable warrant. Without that endorsement, the police must produce you before the court, which then decides bail. Your lawyer can see which kind was issued from the order sheet.

Surrender, bail and recall

1. Check the record: your lawyer gets the case number, the date of the warrant and the next date from the court.
2. Surrender with a bail petition: appear before the court that issued the warrant. If the offence is bailable, bail should follow; if not, argue it.
3. Recall: where you missed a date for illness or another genuine reason, your lawyer can ask the court to recall the warrant, usually with your appearance and supporting papers.
4. High Court: in a fit case, anticipatory bail in the High Court Division is an option before surrender.

If you keep avoiding it: proclamation and attachment

If the court believes you are absconding, it can publish a proclamation (sometimes called hulia) requiring you to appear within at least 30 days (section 87), and order attachment of your property (section 88). Trials can also proceed in absence in some cases. Each step makes bail harder later.