The High Court (HC) yesterday granted anticipatory bail to more than 100 pro-BNP lawyers including its Vice Chairman Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain in several criminal cases.

Other lawyers who secured bail include Abdur Rezak Khan, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Sanaullah Miah and Ferdous Aktar Waheeda.

The HC bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Mohammad Ali granted bail to them after hearing 53 separate petitions filed by the accused.

The bails will remain effective until the submission of the charge sheets to the lower courts concerned.

The cases were filed with several police stations in Dhaka for preventing lawmen from discharging their duties, exploding bombs and holding illegal gatherings on September 11, centering a human chain for BNP chief Khaleda Zia's release, Advocate M Masud Rana, a counsel for the accused said.

Three pro-BNP lawyers filed a writ petition on Sunday, seeking a directive on the government to form a committee to probe into the authenticity of 4000 “fictitious and malafide” cases filed this month against leaders and activists of BNP and other political parties. Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain represented the accused.