Dhaka, May 16 – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the High Court order that had granted bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after hearing two leave-to-appeal petitions filed over the issue.
The SC also issued an order to dispose of the appeal petitions by July 31.
After hearing arguments on Tuesday, the Appellate Division set Wednesday to deliver its order on the two petitions filed challenging Khaleda’s bail granted by the High Court.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, the Attorney General appealed to the court for hearing more arguments in the case. His main contention was the case against Khaleda Zia was different from other cases with which the defence counsels compared to plead for upholding the High Court bai.
On May 9 last, a four-member Appellate Division bench, led by the Chief Justice, fixed Tuesday for delivering the order after closing a two-day hearing on the two petitions.
On May 8, the SC adjourned until May 9 the hearing on the petitions filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission and the state against Khaleda’s bail.
On March 19, the Appellate Division stayed Khaleda’s bail until May 8 in the graft case in which she was convicted by the lower court.
Khaleda has been implicated in many other cases including those of sabotage and arson when she had launched the blockade programme in 2015. She has been also charged in several other graft cases. These cases can be invoked to rearrest her or to be shown arrested as had been cases with political leaders. The Dhaka Special Court-5 convicted the former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. She was then sent to old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city on February 8, last.
She secured four months’ bail from the High Court in the case on March 12.
On March 15, the ACC and the state filed two leave-to-appeal petitions before the Appellate Division challenging Khaleda Zia’s bail. Later, the Appellate Division stayed Khaleda Zia’s bail until May 8 in the case. – UNB
