Minu went into hiding just an hour after he had been granted bail.

Sources said the mayor went to his residence after he had been freed from jail around 5:45pm. He later visited Shah Makhdum's Shrine and offered his prayers, sources said.

"The police headquarters directed the police to arrest him again following his bail and somehow he (Minu) got the information," said a police source adding that they were following him since he had been freed and saw him changing cars several times within a short period time.

Police started raiding Minu's two houses at 7:00pm and questioned his relatives about his whereabouts. But nobody could give any information.

Police were raiding Minu's houses till filing of this report at 9:00pm.

Minu along with two other BNP leaders were sent to jail on Wednesday in connection with an extortion case.

The other two -- Nazrul Huda, vice-president of Rajshahi district BNP, and Shafikul Haque Milon, former general secretary of Rajshahi city BNP -- were also freed with Minu.

Minu with his wife Salma Shahadat left the jail premises in one of his friends' private car around 5:45pm.

Minu's elder brothers Hafizur Rahman Lucky and Kashem Rizvi Ganu, and ward commissioners Mohammad Masud, Anjumand Ara, and Rozi Parvin were also present at the jail gate to receive him, but the mayor did not talk to anyone.

Earlier in the morning, District and Sessions Judge Abu Bakar Siddik heard the arguments of Minu's lawyers and public prosecutor (PP) Ekramul Haq regarding his bail prayer.

Nearly 50 lawyers led by Mojibur Rahman Chowdhury and Ankur Sen pleaded for the mayor.

They told the court that there was no specific charge against the accused in the first information report.

However, the PP argued that police primarily found the extortion allegations to be true and pressed charges against 11 persons including Minu.

The PP also said Lutfar Rahman, the budget-cum-accounts officer of Rajshahi City Corporation who had been arrested by the joint forces a few months ago, revealed important information regarding Minu's involvement in corruption.