DHAKA, Jan 8, 2023 (BSS) - The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today upheld a High Court order granting bail to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and party's Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas in a case lodged over clashes between police and BNP men in front of Nayapaltan BNP office on December 7.

A four-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order, disposing of a state appeal against the High Court order. The Appellate Division also ordered the High Court to dispose of its rule issued on the matter.

"There is now no legal bar in releasing the two BNP leaders as the Appellate Division upheld their bail in the case," defence counsel Barrister Kaiser Kamal told newsmen.

Earlier on January 4, chamber judge court of the Appellate Division had sent the matter to the apex court full bench and set today to hold hearing.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Md Salim and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan on January 3 granted six-month bail to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and party's Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas in the case.

One person was killed and several others, including policemen, were injured in the clash in front of BNP central office in Nayapaltan on December 7. Police filed the case against 473 leaders and activists of BNP and another 1,500- 2,000 unnamed people, with the capital's Paltan Police Station.

Separate teams of detective branch (DB) of police arrested Fakhrul and Abbas from their respective homes on December 8 and showed them arrested in the case. Police brought charges of plotting to attack policemen and inciting violence against the law enforcers, against them.