The High Court yesterday granted ad-interim bail for six months to former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu and former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu in two separate criminal cases.
Abdus Salam Pintu got bail in the case filed in connection with the bomb blast at Narayanganj Awami League (AL) office in 2001, and Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu obtained bail in the Pilkhana carnage case.
An HC bench of Justice Sheikh Rezowan Ali and Justice Muhammad Abdul Hafiz granted them bail after hearing two separate bail petitions filed by the detained BNP leaders.
The bench also issued separate rules upon the government to explain within two weeks why the petitioners should not be granted regular bail in the cases against them.
Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, counsel for the petitioners, told The Daily Star that Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu will get released from the jail following the HC order, if the Supreme Court does not stay the HC order of bail.
But, Abdus Salam Pintu will not get released from jail following the HC order, since he is arrested in August 21 grenade attack case, he said.
Assistant Attorney General Bashirullah said that the government will move separate appeals before the Supreme Court against the HC orders granting bail to Abdus Salam Pintu and Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu.
The bomb blast at the AL office at Chashara on June 16, 2001 left 22 party leaders and workers killed. Police filed a case in this connection the same day. Abdus Salam Pintu was shown arrested on November 26, 2009, in this case.
Police filed the case against Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu with Lalbagh Police Station on February 28, 2009, in connection with the February 25-26 BDR carnage in Pilkhana headquarters.
Pintu was arrested in this case on June 1 the same year.