178 BNP men get anticipatory bail in 13 cases

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to 178 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) till February 7 in connection with 13 cases filed over arson attacks on buses in the capital on November 12 last year.
The HC also asked the accused to surrender before the lower court on expiry of their anticipatory bail.
The HC bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan granted the bail after a hearing on 36 petitions filed by the accused BNP men, seeking anticipatory bail in the cases.
The accused petitioners were present in the court during the hearing.
Lawyers Kayser Kamal and Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal appeared for the accused petitioners while Assistant Attorney General Mahfuzur Rahman Likhon represented the State.     On November 18 and 23 last year, the same HC bench granted anticipatory bail to 200 leaders and activists of BNP, including its standing committee member Gayeshwer Chandra Roy, in the cases filed over  arson attacks on buses.
On November 12 last year, at least nine buses were torched in different parts of the capital. Police later filed 16 cases against over 600 BNP men with nine police stations in the capital.