Dhaka, Feb 19 – The High Court yesterday fixed February 23 for holding a hearing on the petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking bail in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case to receive better treatment in London, UK.
The HC bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq set the date while counsels for BNP chief prayed to the court for holding the hearing on the petition yesterday.
However, the HC bench asked the counsels of Khaleda Zia why they have been filed the bail petition before the HC as this court, as well as the Appellate Division, had earlier rejected a same bail petition of the BNP chief.
Then, Advocate Khandakar Mahbub Hossain and Advocate Zainul Abedin, counsels of BNP chief, told the court that their client has right to move the bail petition before it multiple times.
After that the HC bench fixed next Sunday for hearing on the petition.
Earlier on Tuesday, Advocate Sagir Hossain Lion, one of the counsels for the BNP chief, submitted the petition before the related branch of HC stating that Khaleda is currently seriously ill and her health condition is deteriorating day by day. As such, the petitioner wants to avail advanced treatment in the United Kingdom after securing bail from the court.
Khaleda was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in the case by a lower court. Khaleda is serving jail term in two cases and currently she is undergoing treatment at a prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital.
Earlier, on July 31 last year, a HC bench rejected the bail petition of Khaleda Zia in the same case.
On August 8 in 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon police accusing four people, including Khaleda, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
On October 29, 2018, a special court in Dhaka convicted Khaleda in the case and sentenced her to seven years’ imprisonment.
The former prime minister has been in prison since February 8, 2018 after she was sentenced to jail for five years in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
On October 30, 2018, the High Court dismissed Khaleda’s appeal in the case and doubled her punishment to 10 years of imprisonment.
Khaleda then filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC verdict. The appeal is now pending with the SC for hearing. – Staff Reporter
