Dhaka: The High Court on Sunday granted bail to suspended Sylhet City mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury in the former finance minister Kibria murder case.

An HC bench comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Ataur Rahman Khan passed the order following a petition filed by Ariful.

Barrister Mainul Hossain stood for Ariful while deputy attorney general Mohamamd Bashirullah represented the state.

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, MP filed two cases-- one for murder and another under the Explosives Substances Act-- with Habiganj Police Station the following day.

On December 30 last, a Habiganj court sent Arif, also a BNP central leader, to jail rejecting his bail prayer. Nearly a month ago, the court accepted the supplementary charge-sheet filed against 35 people, including Arif, by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police in connection with the killing of five people, including Shah AMS Kibria.