Khaleda’s bail: SC order on leave-to-appeal petitions Monday

Staff Correspondent: The Supreme Court (SC) has concluded the hearing on the leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against a High Court (HC) order that granted a four-month interim bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case in which she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

After the conclusion of the hearing, the SC set tomorrow (Monday) to pass an order in this regard.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain heard the leave-to-appeal petitions that started from 9:40am on Sunday.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan opposed the bail to BNP chief while senior lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali stood for Khaleda Zia during the hearing in the court.

On March 15, the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission filed separate leave-to-appeal petitions with the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order that granted a four-month interim bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust Corruption case.

The HC on March 12 granted 4 months’ bail to Khaleda in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case in which she was convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. She was given bail on four grounds: a short sentencing of five years, health condition, her facing trial proceedings and that the case records have reached the High Court.

Following two separate petitions filed by the ACC and the government the SC on March 14 stayed the HC order of bail till Sunday. The apex court also asked the ACC and government to file separate leave-to-appeal petitions with this court against the HC order by Sunday

On February 8, a special court convicted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to five years' rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the graft case with Ramna Police Station in July 2008, accusing the six of misappropriating over Tk 2.1 crore that came from a foreign bank as grants for orphans.


risingbd/Dhaka/March 18, 2018/Mehedi/AI