The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the High Court orders that granted anticipatory bail to BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and 64 other party leaders and activists in seven cases filed for torching buses in Dhaka on November 12.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order dismissing seven petitions filed by the state seeking stay on the orders of anticipatory bail.

Lawyer Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal appeared for the accused BNP leaders and activists while Deputy Attorney General Bishwajit Debnath represented the state during the virtual hearing on the state’s petitions.

The cases were filed with different police stations in Dhaka against few hundred people including the 65 BNP leaders and activists on November 12 and 13 after several buses were torched in the capital on November 12.

The HC on November 18 granted anticipatory bail to 120 BNP leaders and activists including Gayeshwar Chandra and Ishraque till January 5 in 11 cases following separate bail petitions.