Dhaka, July 31 – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday extended till October 31 for the High Court to hear and dispose of the appeal filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case in which she was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after hearing two separate petitions filed by Khaleda Zia seeking review of its order that had on May 16 directed the High Court to hear and disposed of BNP chief appeal in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case by July 31.
Following the Supreme Court order, the HC bench will have to finish hearing and dispose of the appeal of Khaleda by October 3, Anti-Corruption Commission’s lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told reporters after the apex court order.
He also said that both the Appellate and High Court divisions of the Supreme Court will go for an annual vacation from August 15 to September 30 and it will reopen on October 1.
Earlier on February 8, Khaleda was sent to jail after a special court sentenced her to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Following an appeal filed by BNP chief challenging the lower court order the High Court had on March 12 granter her bail in the case and the Appellate Division had on May 16 upheld the HC order that granted four-month bail to Khaleda in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
However, the apex court directed the HC bench led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim to hear and dispose of her appeal challenging the lower court verdict on her by July 31.
As per the apex court directive, the HC bench had on July 12 started hearing on the appeal of Khaleda Zia. The bench has held the hearing on the appeal for about 12 days till yesterday.
During yesterday’s appeal hearing, the HC bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman extended till August 8 its earlier order that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
The HC bench passed the order following a petition filed by Khaleda seeking an extension of her bail in the case.
The High Court granted four months’ bail to the BNP chief in the case on March 12 this year. The tenure of the four months’ bail expired on May 14. Then the court extended her bail for three times and the latest extension expired yesterday.
Advocate AJ Mohmmad Ali argued for Khaleda while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and advocate Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission respectively.
Meanwhile, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 of Dhaka yesterday extended the bail of Khaleda Zia until August 7 in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
The court came up with the order after Khaleda’s lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder submitted a petition seeking the extension of her bail in the case.
The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon police in August 2011 accusing Khaleda and three others of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The three other accused are: Harris Chowdhury, political secretary of the then prime minister Khaleda between 2001 and 2006, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
Of them, Harris is on the run, while Munna and Monirul are now on bail. – Staff Reporter
