Dhaka, May 28 – The government yesterday filed separate appeal petitions with the chamber court of the Appellate Division for staying the operation of the High Court order passed a few hours ago of granting six months bail to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in two Comilla arson cases. Following the government’s moved, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hassan Foyez Siddique fixed Tuesday (today) for hearing on the appeals.
Earlier, in the morning the HC bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice JBM Hassan granted six-month bail for Khaleda Zia in the cases filed over vandalism in Chouddagram, Comilla, on January 2015, and killing of eight and injuring 25-26 others by setting fire on a passenger bus in Chouddagram on February 2, 2015.
However, the HC bench rejected as ‘not being pressed’ in another case filed with the Narail Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against Khaleda Zia for making remarks on the number of freedom fighters as well as on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
The High Court bench said “the petition was not properly moved” and advised Khaleda’s counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain to appear before the High Court after disposal of her bail application by the trial court.
The BNP chief filed the three petitions on May 20, seeking bail in the three cases in which she was being shown arrested in the meantime.
Among the three cases, two were filed in Comilla on charges of vandalising vehicles in 2015. Eight people were killed and at least 20 injured when assailants hurled a petrol bomb at a bus in Jagmohanpur area of Chouddagram under Comilla district during the BNP-led alliance’s protests on February 3, 2015.
Two cases—one under Explosive Substances Act and another for murder—were filed against Khaleda in connection with the incident.
The government has shown Khaleda arrested in the two cases after the court issued an arrest warrant against her following the charge-sheet submitted by the police in the cases.
Khaleda’s lawyers moved the Comilla district and session’s judge’s court for her bail in the two cases on Apr 23. The court set June 7 as the date for hearing the bail pleas.
Khaleda’s lawyers then requested the date be brought forward, but the proposal was rejected.
After that, the BNP chief filed another bail plea with the HC challenging the lower court decision.
The third case was filed by Raihan Faruki Imam with a Narail court on September 24, 2015, for Khaleda’s remarks on the number of freedom fighters as well as on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. On December 21, 2015, Khaleda had said at a meeting that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not want independence and rather wanted to be the prime minister of Pakistan. She had also said that there was a controversy over the number of freedom fighters.
A local court later issued an arrest warrant and later Khaleda was shown arrested in the case.
Meanwhile, another bench of the HC comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sahidul Karim is likely to hold the hearing Tuesday (today) on two bail petitions filed BNP chief seeking bail in two other cases.
One of the cases was a defamation suit filed by Bangladesh Jananetri Parisad President AB Siddik on November 3, 2016, against Khaleda Zia for distorting the history of Liberation War, demeaning the national flag and map. Later, an arrest warrant was issued on November 12 in 2017.
The other was filed by Journalist Gazi Jahirul Islam on August 30, 2016, accusing Khaleda of observing birthday on August 15 on false information. Later on November 17, 2016, an arrest warrant issued against her.
On May 16, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the HC order that had granted bail to Khaleda in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
However, the BNP chief was not freed from jail, as she was shown arrested in some other cases filed with different police stations in Comilla, Dhaka, Narail, and Panchagarh including the three in which she has already sought bail. The BNP chairperson is currently facing a total of 36 cases. – Staff Reporter
