Dhaka: The High Court granted bail for six month to the four family members of former Awami League Lawmaker Dr ABM Iqbal in a corruption case filed over amassing illegal wealth.

A HC bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Krishna Debnath issued the order after receiving an appeal petition filed in the case on Thursday.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the bench considered an appeal filed against the punishment which sent Dr ABM Iqbal’s wife and three children to jail.

Senior lawyer Abdul Baset Mazumder was on behalf of Dr Iqbal’s family, while Khurshid Alam Khan was present for Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

On 8 March, Dhaka Special Court-1 Judge Ataur Rahman issued the order sending four family members of former Awami League Lawmaker Dr AMB Iqbal to jail in the graft case.

The family members of ABM Iqbal are, his wife, Dr Momtaz Iqbal Doly, their daughter, Nowrin Iqbal, and sons, Imran Iqbal and Mahin Iqbal.

On the same day, the accused surrendered before the court and filed bail petitions. However, rejecting the bail plea, the judge sent the former lawmaker’s family to jail.

On 11 March, 2008, the court sentenced three years imprisonment to the four accused and fined them TK1lakh in the graft case filed for amassing wealth and concealing information in his wealth statement.

Later, the accused filed appeal petition with High Court against the verdict. The HC asked them to surrender before the lower court.

In 2010, the court also awarded ABM Iqbal with 10-year of imprisonment for acquiring wealth in an illegal way, and three years of imprisonment along with Tk 50lakh fine for concealing the wealth information in another graft case.