HC grants bail to 89 Chandpur BNP activists

A total of 89 BNP leaders and activists of Chandpur secured anticipatory bail from the High Court today in a criminal case filed on charge of preventing police from discharging duties and injuring them during a clash.

The HC bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan granted them bail till February 22 after hearing 11 separate petitions filed by the accused.

The court also asked them to surrender to the trial court concerned by February 22 in connection with the case.

Sagir Hossain Leon, a lawyer for the accused petitioners, told The Daily Star that a group of local BNP leaders and activists of Hajiganj upazila of Chandpur brought out a procession on January 12 in protest against an order of a Chandpur court that issued arrest warrant against BNP leader Tarique Rahman in a sedition case.

The police prevented them from bringing out the procession where chase and counter-chase took place between the police and BNP men.

Police filed a case with Hajiganj police station on January 13 in this connection, the lawyer added.