The HC also issued a showcause notice on the informant of the case, asking him to explain in six weeks why the ten should not be cleared of the charges.

The government went to the HC after the Speedy Trial Tribunal, Dhaka rejected its plea to relieve the accused, including the lawmaker's brother Reazuddin Ahmed Monir, of the charges of a February 16, 2002 double murder in Keraniganj.

The tribunal could not begin its trial yesterday because of the HC order, although the complainant appeared before court to give his deposition.

The court sought a supplementary copy of the HC stay order from the government and scheduled the submission of the copy for September 3.

An HC Division Bench comprising Justice Gour Gopal Saha and Justice Abdus Salam Mamun issued the stay order that came after Additional Attorney-General Abdur Rezak Khan filed the petition on behalf of the government against the August 17 rejection order from the tribunal.

Earlier, the home ministry sent a letter to the Dhaka metropolitan public prosecutor (PP) to pave the way for relieving the accused of the charges that it said were fabricated.

The tribunal said the government did not mention in its petition why the charges should be withdrawn.

The nine others are Salahuddin, Mohammad Moula, Mohammad Hasan, Jahangir, Manjur Ali, Shahin, Mohammad Alam, Mohammad Mesbah and Javed. The tribunal framed charges against 23 including Monir.

Monir and eight others are in jail custody, while another 10 are out on bail. But Talim, Azad, Javed and Mesbah have been absconding since the murder.

Amir Abullah, 26, secretary of the Zinjira Market Association and sports secretary of the Zinjira Union Jubo Dal and 30-year-old Sentu, a lessee of a cattle market at Zinjira Bazar, were shot dead on February 16 last year.