5 top BNP leaders get HC bail

Five top leaders of BNP including Barrister Moudud Ahmed were granted six months' bail on Tuesday by a High Court bench in two cases filed last year against them for arson attack, vandalism and preventing police from discharging duties. The five senior leaders are: BNP Standing Committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, party Chairperson Khaleda Zia's adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo and Khaleda Zia's Special Assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas. The HC bench comprising Justice Nizamul Haque and Jahangir Hossain passed the order in the morning. On November 8 last year, Detective Branch (DB) of Police detained BNP Standing Committee members KM Anwar, Barrister Moudud Ahmed and Rafiqul Islam Mia from Hotel Sonargoan in the city. On the following night BNP Chairperson's adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo and her special assistant Shimul Biswas were picked up by police from in front of Khaleda Zia's Gulshan residence. Following the HC order, there is no legal bar for Mintoo to get released from jail, Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman, a counsel for the detained BNP leaders, said. But the four other BNP leaders could not be freed now as they were shown arrested in three other cases, he added, according to a news agency.