The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has ordered that the suspension of bail for 61 pro-Awami League lawyers will remain in effect in a case involving the assault and attempted murder of fellow lawyers during an anti-government movement. The court also directed the High Court to resolve the pending rule regarding their bail within two weeks.

The order was issued on Monday (May 19) by a full bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan.

Senior lawyers MK Rahman and Motahar Hossain Saju represented the accused, while Additional Attorney General Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan appeared for the state.

Earlier, on April 22, the High Court had granted bail to the 61 pro-Awami lawyers. However, the state appealed to have the bail order suspended. On April 29, Chamber Judge Justice Md. Rezaul Haque temporarily suspended the High Court’s bail order until May 5 and referred the matter to the regular bench of the Appellate Division.

The case stems from allegations of assault, vandalism of chambers, and attempted murder of members of the Dhaka Bar Association during an anti-government protest. A total of 144 pro-Awami lawyers were accused in the case. Of them, 115 obtained eight weeks of anticipatory bail from the High Court.

When that bail expired, 83 lawyers surrendered before the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court on April 6 and sought bail. The court granted bail to former bar president Abu Sayeed Sagar and 18 female lawyers. Three others remained absconding, while the remaining 61 were sent to jail.

They later applied for bail from the High Court, which was granted. However, following the state's appeal, the Appellate Division suspended the bail order. That suspension will now remain in effect, as per the latest directive from the Supreme Court.