Dhaka: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a High Court order that granted bail to suspended Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury and suspended Habiganj municipal mayor GK Gaus in two separate cases.

A four member bench led by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order rejecting an appeal filed by state against the bail order.

Barrister Mainul Hosein, Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Advocate Masud Rana and Advocate Mostafizur Rahman stood for the detained mayors.

Masud Rana told reporters that now there is no bar to release suspended Habiganj municipal mayor GK Gaus.

On 11 December, the High Court granted suspended SCC mayor Ariful six months bail in a case for carrying out bomb attack on a Awami League rally in Dirai, Sunamganj.

Later the state filed a petition with the apex court against the HC order.

Gaus on the other hand, had secured bail on the same day in a case lodged over carrying out a grenade attack on a rally at Baibyer Bazar in Habiganj on 27 January, 2005 that killed two persons including former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria.

On 20 December, the Supreme Court stayed the bail of two suspended mayors responding to a petition by the prosecution.

The apex court stayed their bail till 2 January, 2017, and sent it to a regular bench.