The High Court today granted ad-interim bail to BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury in two separate criminal cases, clearing the way for him to walk out of jail his walk of jail.

The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim granted him ad-interim bail for six months in two cases -- vandalism and arson -- filed with Shahbagh and Kotwali police stations in 2013.

The bench delivered the orders of bail after hearing two separate petitions recently filed by Aslam Chowdhury, a joint secretary general of BNP, seeking bail in the cases.

Aslam's lawyer Muhammad Hasibur Rahman told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar for his client to be released from Keraniganj jail following the HC orders of bail.

Aslam Chowdhury has been shown arrested in more than 100 cases and secured bail in all the cases after he was detained in May, 2016, he said, adding that the HC granted him bail on the grounds that he has long been suffering in jail.     

Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah told this correspondent that the state will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC orders of bail.

Lawyer Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal appeared for Aslam during hearing of the bail petitions.

On May 15, 2016 Aslam was picked up from the capital's Khilkhet area over an alleged plot with Israel to topple Bangladesh government. After 11 days, he was sued for the alleged sedition on May 26, 2016.

Known to be a trusted lieutenant of BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, Chattogram-based businessman Aslam came in for severe criticism in 2016 after several photographs went viral in social media showing him with Israeli politician Mendi N Safadi, also chief of Safadi Center for International Diplomacy and Public Relations.