Dhaka, May 28 – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday upheld BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s bail granted by the High Court in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. The court also ordered to dissolve an appeal that challenged the 5-year imprisonment for the BNP leader, by July 31.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order on Wednesday morning hearing two leave-to-appeal petitions, filed challenging BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail.
On March 19, the Appellate Division stayed Khaleda Zia’s bail until May 8 in the graft case in which she was convicted by the lower court and sent her to jail.
The Special Court-5 of Dhaka convicted the former Prime Minister 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.
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.
On May 9, a four-member Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, fixed Tuesday (May 15) for delivering the order after closing a two-day hearing on the two petitions. But on Tuesday, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam filed a petition for hearing again. – Special Correspondent
