Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to five BNP leaders including its Vice Chairman Shawkat Mahmud for eight weeks in a case filed with Shahbagh Police Station charges of vandalism and assault on police.
The list of the BNP leaders included Swechchhasebak Dal President Shafiul Bari Babu, Chairman of Jatiya Dal Syed Ahsanul Huda, Chhatra Dal President Fazlur Rahman Khokan and Secretary Iqbal Hossain Shaymol among others.
The High Court bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan passed the order after hearing separate bail petitions filed by the BNP leaders.
The court also directed the leaders to surrender in the trial court by this time.
Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain and Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali appeared in the court on behalf of the BNP leaders.
A deadly clash took place on November 26 afternoon in front of the Supreme Court main gate between police and BNP leaders and activists when they brought out a procession demanding the unconditional release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, who has been languishing in jail since February 2018.
Witnesses said that several vehicles were vandalized during the chase and counter chase between the police and BNP activists.
Later police filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station against 500 leaders, and activists of BNP mostly unnamed on charges of vandalism and assault on police.
Earlier on November 28 the High Court granted anticipatory bail to four BNP leaders including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and on December 1 granted bail to five other BNP leaders including its Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman for eight weeks in the case.
