A Dhaka court yesterday granted BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir bail in nine cases filed over violence centring the October 28 BNP rally in Dhaka.

However, Fakhrul will remain incarcerated as he is yet to secure bail in two other cases for which he has been in jail since October 29, said Sheikh Shakil Ahmed Ripon, one of his lawyers.

Yesterday, Sultan Sohag Uddin, additional chief metropolitan magistrate of Dhaka, granted bail to Fakhrul after hearing the bail petitions in nine cases, Additional Public Prosecutor Tapash Kumar Pal told The Daily Star.

On January 9, the BNP leader was shown arrested in the nine cases, following petitions filed with the court by his lawyers.

The defence told the court that they cannot file bail petitions in the cases until police showed Fakhrul arrested. They submitted petitions before the court so that they could proceed with the petitions. The court granted the petitions and fixed yesterday for the bail hearing.

Of the nine cases, six were lodged with Paltan Model Police Station and the rest with Ramna Model Police Station.

The charges in the cases include killing of a police constable, illegal gathering on the street, vandalism of vehicles, rioting, snatching a law enforcer's weapon, damaging properties, assaulting police personnel, and preventing them from discharging their duties.

Meanwhile, the High Court yesterday rejected Fakhrul's bail petition in the case filed over the vandalism of the chief justice's residence on October 28.

The bench of Justice Md Salim and Justice Shahed Nuruddin, however, directed the jail authorities concerned to take necessary steps for providing proper treatment to Fakhrul.

Delivering the verdict, the bench said there is a possibility of hampering of investigation of the case if they grant Fakhrul bail.

This verdict means Fakhrul cannot walk out of jail, Deputy Attorney General BM Rafael told this newspaper.

Fakhrul's lawyer Zainul Abedin told reporters that there was a scope for this client to move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC judgment.

On December 7 last year, the HC bench refused to grant him bail but issued a rule asking the state to explain why Fakhrul should not be granted bail in the case.

The BNP leader on December 3 filed the bail petition, saying that he was not involved in the vandalism of the chief justice's residence in any way.

He is an elderly person and he has been suffering from different diseases, including heart problems, he said in the petition.

On October 29, Fakhrul was arrested in the case filed with Ramna Model Police Station. Later, he was shown arrested in another case filed with Paltan Model Police Station over vandalism and obstructing police on October 28. The BNP leader is in prison in the two cases.

Earlier, he was denied bail in the cases by Dhaka courts.