BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury were yesterday granted bail in a case filed over the vandalism of the chief justice's residence, paving the way for their release.

Judge (in-charge) Faisal Atiq Bin Kader of Dhaka's Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the orders after their lawyers submitted separate petitions, seeking bail in the case, defence lawyer Zaynul Abedin Mesbah told The Daily Star.

"Now there is no legal bar for my clients' release," he said.

The two top BNP leaders are set to walk out after languishing in jail three and a half months, said Sagir Hossain Leon, another defence lawyer.

Fakhrul was denied bail four times by the High Court and lower courts in the case filed with Ramna Model Police Station on October 29 last year by Sub-inspector Mofizur Rahman. Khasru had also been rejected bail in the same case.

On October 28 last year, BNP activists and police clashed during the party's grand rally in the capital. Over the incident, 11 violence cases were filed against Fakhrul, while Khasru was made accused in 10 cases.

Earlier, Fakhrul was granted bail in 10 cases and Khasru in nine cases.

Of the 11 cases against Fakhrul, seven were lodged with Paltan Model Police Station and the rest with Ramna Model Police Station.

Besides the 11, around 110 cases, most of them lodged over political violence against Fakhrul, are in different stages of trial. He is now on bail in the cases, say BNP sources.

The charges in the last 11 cases include the killing of a police constable, illegal gathering on the streets, vandalising vehicles, rioting, snatching a police weapon, damaging properties, assaulting police personnel, and preventing them from discharging their duties.

On October 29, Fakhrul was arrested in a case filed with Ramna Police Station over the attack on the residence of the chief justice.

Four days after his arrest, Khasru was held in a case lodged over the death of a police constable in a clash during the BNP's grand rally.