The High Court yesterday granted permanent bail to former Awami League lawmaker from Tangail-3 Amanur Rahman Khan Rana in a murder case, clearing the way for his release from jail.

The HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman gave him bail in the case filed for killing Jubo League activists Shamim and Mamun in 2012.

Amanur’s lawyer Rusho Mustafa told The Daily Star that there was no legal bar to his client’s release from jail following the HC verdict.

The court gave Amanur bail on the grounds that the case has been under investigation for six years, he has been in prison for a long time and other accused of the case have secured bail from the court, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Md Bashir Ullah told this correspondent that the government would move a petition before the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, challenging the HC bail order.

Jubo League activists -- Shamim and Mamun -- were killed on the orders of Amanur and his brother Jahidur Rahman Khan Kakon in Tangail in July 2012, said Ashoke Kumar Sinha, investigation officer of the case.

Mamun’s father Abdul Aziz lodged the murder case with a Tangail court on July 9 in 2013 against 13 people, said Rusho, adding that Tangail Model Police Station recorded the case on September 21 that year as per the Tangail court order. Amanur was shown arrested in the case in May last year.

Amanur was charge-sheeted in the case as per confessional statements of three other accused, the lawyer said, adding that Amanur landed in jail on September 18, 2016.

On April 23 this year, following a government petition, the SC’s Appellate Division upheld its chamber judge’s order that stayed the HC bail order for Amanur.

The four-member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain also asked the HC to hear and dispose of the rule issued by the court on March 6 asking the government why Amanur should not be granted permanent bail in the case.

Following a bail petition filed by Amanur, the HC granted him bail on March 6 and issued the rule.

Later, the SC chamber judge stayed the bail order and sent the stay petition filed by the state to the full bench of the Appellate Division for its hearing.

After hearing the rule, the HC yesterday delivered the verdict granting permanent bail to Amanur.

On March 15 this year, the same HC bench gave six months’ bail to Amanur in freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed murder case.

Faruk’s bullet-hit body was recovered on January 18, 2013. Later, police found evidence of involvement of Rana and his three brothers in the killing.