Dhaka, Aug 30 – The chamber court of the Appellate Division on Thursday upheld the High Court order that granted bail for six months to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in two defamation cases filed in Dhaka and Narail districts. The Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique also fixed October 1 for hearing two petitions filed by the government seeking a stay on the HC orders.
Later, Deputy Attorney General MA Kamrul Ahsan Khan Aslam told reporters that the full bench of the Appellate Division would hear on the government’s petitions on October 1 as the chamber judge sent the petitions to the full bench for its hearing without passing any stay order.
The High Court order that granted bail to Khaleda Zia in the cases will remain in force until further order, Barrister Kayser Kamal, one of the counsels for Khaleda, said.
Among the two cases, AB Siddiqui, president of Jananetri Parishad, had on January 5 in 2016 filed a case with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (CMM) in Dhaka.
As per the prosecution, Khaleda Zia questioned the actual number of Liberation War martyrs at a discussion held in Dhaka on December 21, 2015. Besides, she made objectionable remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Raihan Farooque Imam of Naragati in Narail filed the other defamation case against her on December 24 in 2015 over the same remark.
In response to the bail petitions filed by Khaleda, the HC had earlier granted six-month bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in two defamation cases filed against her for making ‘derogatory remarks’ about freedom fighters and martyred intellectuals.
The government on August 16 filed separate petitions with the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the High Court orders granting bail to Khaleda in the two defamation cases.
After hearing on the government petitions, the chamber court sent the petitions to the full bench of the Appellate Division without passing any stay order. – Staff Reporter
Our Court Correspondent adds: A Comilla court on Thursday fixed September 12 for further hearing on a petition seeking bail for BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in a case filed under the Special Powers Act in connection with an arson attack in Chauddagram upazila of Comilla in 2015.
Judge KM Shamsul Alam passed the order after the prosecution lodged a petition seeking an adjournment of the hearing as they were not earlier prepared enough.
On August 20, the same court fixed August 30 for hearing on the petition following a time petition filed by the prosecution. Advocate Sanaullah Mia participated in the hearing yesterday on Khaleda Zia’s defence while Public
Prosecutor Advocate Mustafizur Rahman Liton represented the State. On July 23, a High Court bench directed the Comilla court to dispose of Khaleda Zia’s bail petition by July 26. The bail was rejected on July 25.
Later, Khaleda’s lawyer moved to High Court for her bail, but the High Court bench sent the petition to Comilla as the lower court concerned had not cleared the case and also sought lawful clarifications.
The case against the BNP Chairperson was filed under Special Powers Act over an arson attack and vandalism in Chauddagram upazila.
Police submitted a charge sheet accusing Khaleda Zia and 32 others.
