SC order on petitions challenging Khaleda’s bail Tuesday

The Supreme Court (SC) is set to deliver its order on Tuesday on the leave-to-appeal petitions challenging BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail that the High Court granted her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The full bench of the appellate division, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, is going to pass the order in the morning.

Khaleda Zia’s lawyers, meanwhile, voiced high hope that the apex court will grant Khaleda bail considering her health condition, age and social status.

“We’re completing all the necessary preparations to place our arguments before the highest court in favour of granting her bail in the case,” said Mahbubuddin Khokon, Khaleda’s one of the lawyers.

He said they will focus on the bail precedence alongside her falling health condition in jail during their arguments.

Khokon said they are confident that the Appellate Division will uphold the High Court’s bail to Khaleda on Tuesday.

The BNP chief’s another lawyer, Kayser Kamal, said there is no example in the subcontinent that any convicted person with five years’ jail term was not granted bail. “So, we’ll highlight the historic bail precedence.”

He said all the grounds are there in the BNP chief’s case to give her bail considering her social position and dignity as she is a woman, former prime minister, 73-yar-old person and seriously ill. “So, we’re sure that she’s going to get bail from the highest court.” 

On March 19, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed Khaleda Zia’s bail till May 8 in the graft case in which she was convicted by the lower court and sent to jail.

The SC also allowed the State and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to file petitions against the HC order that granted bail to Khaleda. 

On February 8 last, the Dhaka Special Court-5 convicted the former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson 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.

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 secured from the High Court in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Later, the Appellate Division stayed Khaleda Zia's bail till May 8 in the case.

Meanwhile, Khaleda Zia asked her lawyers to bring the matter of her ‘serious illness’ to the notice of the Supreme Court during the hearing on her bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Tuesday as they went to meet her on May 5.

Source: unb