Dhaka: The Appellate Division on Monday cancelled the anticipatory bail granted by the High Court to Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior leaders MK Anwar, Abdul Awal Mintoo and Amanullah Aman in separate cases for arson attacks and vandalism. The court ordered them to surrender before the lower court within one week.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, passed the order after a hearing of the prosecution’s plea for the cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to four senior BNP leaders — BNP standing committee members MK Anwar, Tariqul Islam, BNP chairperson’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo and its joint secretary general Amanullah Aman — in 56 cases.

The cases were filed with different police stations in connection with arson attacks and vandalism during the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance’s blockade programme after 5 January.

The Appellate Division, however, came up with ‘no order’ regarding the bail of Tariqul Islam which means the anticipatory bail granted to him by the HC will prevail.

Lawyers Jainul Abedin, Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Sagir Hossain Leon argued for the BNP leaders during the hearing while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the state.

Talking to reporters after the hearing, Sagir Hossain Leon said the Appellate Division asked the lower court to independently consider about granting bail to the three leaders.

Earlier on 9 July, the HC granted anticipatory bail to the four leaders in 56 arson and vandalism cases.

BNP standing committee members Anwar and Tariqul got bail in nine and four cases respectively while the party chief Khaleda Zia’s adviser Mintoo obtained bail in one case and BNP ioint secretary seneral Aman in 42 cases.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Mohammad Ziaul Karim and Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain granted the bail for four weeks after the BNP leaders appeared before the bench with separate bail petitions.