The High Court (HC) yesterday directed 14 labour leaders and workers to surrender before the trial court within eight weeks in connection with a case filed against them following the recent vandalism in garment factories in Ashulia.

The HC bench of Justice MAWahhab Miah and Justice Abdur Razzak asked the law enforcers not to harass or arrest them in the case during the period.

The court also asked security personnel not to harass or arrest them in three other cases until submission of police reports in this regard. The three cases were also filed on charge of killing a garment worker and vandalism in the same incidents.

The court passed the orders upon separate bail petitions filed by the accused in the cases.

The petitioners include advocate Mantu Kumar Ghosh, adviser of Bangladesh Garment Sramik Trade Union, its president Idris Ali and general secretary KM Ruhul Amin and office secretary Joly Talukder.

They appeared before the HC bench, seeking anticipatory bail in the case.

Ashulia police filed four separate cases on charge of vandalism, arson and killing of a garment worker during the three-day violent incidents in the factories at Ashulia.

Advocate Hasinur Rahman appeared for the petitioners.