File photo of Shawkat Mahmud.

The High Court today granted an eight-week anticipatory bail to BNP chairperson’s adviser Shawkat Mahmud in a case filed on charge of attacking police and snatching two accused from the law enforcers in Bakshibazar area of Dhaka on January 30.

The HC also directed Shawkat, former president of Jatiya Press Club, to surrender before the lower court concerned after eight weeks.

The bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Krishna Debnath passed the order after the accused appeared before it and sought bail.

Barrister Kayser Kamal argued for the accused, saying that Shawkat was not in Dhaka during the January 30 incident.

BNP activists on January 30 attacked a prison van and snatched two detained fellow men from it near High Court area of the capital.

The incident happened when the motorcade of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia was crossing the area on way to her Gulshan home from a court in Bakshibazar, witnesses said.

Later the case was filed with Ramna Police stations on charge of attacking police, snatching an accused from the police and preventing them from discharging duties.