Earlier in the day, the High Court ordered him to surrender in four weeks to the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge.

The HC also directed police not to arrest him when he surrendered to it after a 19-day hiding.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) ordered Rafiqul to report to the Rajarbagh Police Lines after closing him on September 15. But he stayed at a hideout and appeared before the HC yesterday with an anticipatory bail petition.

Ordering police not to arrest Rafiq, the HC bench of Justice Sheik Rezowan Ali and Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal asked him to surrender before a lower court in four weeks.

The government side represented by Deputy Attorney General Abdul Baset did not oppose his prayer.

Former law minister Advocate Habibul Islam Bhuiyan and ruling BNP Law Secretary Jainul Abedin moved for the petitioner.

Gunmen killed Momin, a student of Dhaka Commerce College, on September 13 in front of his Ibrahimpur house. His family had a dispute with the OC over a piece of land near their house.

Police authorities did not take a move to arrest the OC and merely closed him to Rajarbagh Police Lines on September 15 as his name was on top of the 26 accused in the FIR (first information report) filed with Kafrul Police Station.

Police have so far arrested 13 of the FIR-listed accused.

Momin's family alleged Rafiq was threatening them from his hideout.

They expressed apprehension at a press conference in Dhaka that OC Rafiq's going free poses a threat to their lives.

Earlier on Thursday, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the house of the victim, but no-one was hurt.

Unknown callers also threatened the victim's family to withdraw the case, the family alleged.

Another police officer is now behind bars for a similar incident.