The High Court on Monday granted BNP leaders Abdus Salam and Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie six months’ interim bail in a case over the clash between police and the party activists in the capital’s Nayapaltan on December 7 last year.

The HC bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Shahed Nuruddin passed the bail order.

The court issued a rule questioning why the BNP leaders should not be granted permanent bail.

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Senior lawyer Zainul Abedin and lawyer Zahirul Islam Sumon appeared for the two BNP leaders in the court.

On December 7 last year, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between police and the BNP activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office, ahead of its December 10 rally.

Police arrested 470 BNP activists and leaders in connection with the clash and they were sued in two cases filed with Paltan and Motijheel police stations.

BNP's Dhaka Metropolitan South convener Abdus Salam and publication secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie were arrested on the same day following the clash.

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A Dhaka court sent 445 BNP leaders and activists including Annie and Salam to jail in two cases filed over the violence and order to give division in jail to the five leaders on the following day.

Party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Chairperson’s Special Assistant Shimul Biswash, Joint Secretary General Khairul Kabir Khokon, former organizational secretary Fazlul Haque Milon, Co-Organisational Secretary Selimuzzaman, are among others who were sent to jail in the case.