He appeared in the court and secured bail from the High Court to avert arrest.

A division bench comprising Justice Syed Amirul Islam and Justice MA Hafiz also issued rule upon the government to show cause why the petitioner should not be granted regular bail.

The Bureau of Anti-Corruption on June 8 filed two corruption cases against four people including Abu Sayeed.

Abu Sayeed and former information secretary M Akmal Hossain were accused of awarding TV license to AS Mahmud without participating in the tender. Mahmud is also an accused in the case.

A four-member technical evaluation committee of the Information Ministry in connivance with Abu Sayeed, Akmal Hossain and AS Mahmud awarded the license to ETV violating the Private TV Channel & Management Policy of 1998, said the complainant.

On April 29 last year, ETV, the first private TV channel with terrestrial facility provided by State-run BTV, was shut down following a Supreme Court verdict upholding the High Court order that declared the ETV license illegal. ETV was formally launched on April 14, 2000.

Advocate Abdul Matin Khasru appeared for Sayeed.

Meanwhile, the High Court yesterday stayed proceedings of a graft case against former minister Mohammad Nasim MP pending in the court of Metropolitan Special Judge.

The court also issued a rule upon the government to show cause why the case should not be quashed. The rule was made returnable in four weeks.

A division bench comprising Justice Syed Amirul Islam and Justice MA Hafiz passed the order upon a petition filed by Nasim.

The Bureau of Anti-Corruption on June 19 last year filed the case accusing Nasim stating that as minister of telecommunication he abused power.

Advocate Anisul Huq appeared for Nasim.