A Barishal court yesterday granted bail to nine Awami League men and Barishal City Corporation staffers in two cases filed over the violence in front of Sadar UNO’s office on August 18.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Masum Billah delivered the order after holding hearing on bail petitions filed on behalf of 21 accused arrested in the cases.

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Khokon Chandra Das, an official of the court, confirmed the development and said the cases were filed by UNO Munibur Rahman and Barishal Metropolitan Police member Shajahan Mallik respectively.

Talukder Md Younus, secretary of Barishal district AL, said they would move another bail petition seeking bail for the other arrestees.

Panel mayor of BCC and City AL member Gaji Noimul Hossain Litu told The Daily Star, “It is a legal process and we will wait. We will try that all other arrested members are freed.”

The violence took place after several employees of Barishal City Corporation went to remove banners in front of the office of the UNO in the city’s C&B area on the night of August 18. The violence left around 50 people injured. Many of them were bullet-hit.

A total of four cases were filed over the incident.

One hundred and twenty-two people, including BCC Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, were named as accused in one case. A Barishal court directed the PBI to investigate it.

The BCC confirmed on August 22 that the local administration and the mayor reached an understanding on the matter, but neither side spoke on the matter publicly.