DHAKA, Nov 16: The Bangladesh High Court on Saturday granted interim bail to the Awami League’s general secretary, Abdul Jalil, and 15 other party leaders in 12 defamation cases filed by the BNP-led ruling coalition in different courts across the country.

The High Court’s Division Bench also issued a rule nisi to the government “to show cause within six weeks why they would not be enlarged on permanent bail.”

The Awami League at a press conference on October 16 this year announced that 101 leaders of the ruling BNP coalition were “godfathers” patronising hardened criminals across the country, after which 12 BNP-coalition filed the suits against the 16 Awami League leaders who were present at the press conference.