Dhaka: The High Court on Tuesday granted bail to suspended Sylhet city mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury in the former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria murder case.

An HC bench comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Mohammad Mozibur Rahman Miah issued the order disposing of a HC rule asking the government to explain as to why Ariful Haque Chowdhury should not be granted bail in the case.

Barrister Mainul Hossain, Barrister Abdul Hakim Kafi and Md Nizam Uddin stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Dr Mohammad Bashir Ullah represented the state.

Ariful’s lawyer Nizam Uddin said the HC granted him bail until the end of the trial in the case. But he will not get release as he is also accused in other cases.

The deputy attorney general said the court has already recorded testimony of 31 witnesses among 170.

They will file an appeal against the HC order with the Supreme Court.

Earlier on 9 August, the High Court issued the rule.

On 17 May, the High Court rejected a bail petition of Ariful Haque Chowdhury in the Shah AMS Kibria murder case.

The High Court on 22 March granted bail to Ariful for 15 days on the grounds that his mother was ill, and asked him to surrender before the lower court on the expiry of the bail. After the expiry of the bail period, Ariful filed the bail petition. Five people, including Kibria, were killed and 70 others injured in a grenade attack on a public rally of local Awami League at Baidder Bazar in Sadar upazila of Habiganj district on 27 January, 2005.

After the incident, Awami League leader Abdul Mozid Khan filed two cases—one for murder and another under the Explosives Substances Act—with Habiganj Police the following day.