On March 21, the High Court cancelled his (Shoib) bail granted by a lower court on April 30 last year as a rule was pending on the same issue with the higher court.

The High Court had also directed Shoib to surrender before the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court within six weeks.

As per the order, he appeared before the court yesterday and prayed for bail.

During the hearing, Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Farid Halder did not oppose the bail petition although the judge asked PP Abdullah Mahmud Hassan and the APP whether they have any objection in this regard.

The prosecution even did not take part in the hearing on another petition submitted on May 21 last year by the PP for cancellation of Shoib's bail, saying that the present situation and the earlier situation was not the same.

Meanwhile, the defence withdrew the petition filed for taking back Shoib's passport seized earlier by the law enforcement agencies.

After hearing both the sides, Judge Mohammad Momin Ullah granted bail to Shoib upon a bond of Tk 5 lakh under his lawyer Samarendra Nath Goswami's lone surety.

Mohammad Abdul Hanif, officer-in-charge (OC) of the Airport Police Station, had filed the sedition case against Shoib with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka on January 24, 2004.