SC keeps Khaleda’s review pending till July 31

Staff Correspondent: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) asked the High Court Division to start hearing on the appeal of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the lower court verdict that sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust Corruption Case.

The SC said Khaleda’s lawyer can seek time from this court if the High Court (HC) cannot finish the hearing on her appeal by July 31.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order on Thursday.

The SC order came following two separate petitions filed by BNP chief seeking review of its earlier order that directed the HC bench led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim to conclude hearing on the appeal of Khaleda Zia by July 31.

The SC today kept the review petition of Khaleda Zia standover (pending) till July 31.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed, lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali and lawyer Advocate Jainul Abedin stood for Khaleda Zia while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.

On March 19, the Appellate Division stayed Khaleda's bail until May 8 in the graft case in which she was convicted by the lower court.

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. The court also jailed Tarique Rahman, now the acting chairman of BNP, and four others to 10 years imprisonment and fined them Tk 2.1 crore.

Khaleda Zia was then sent to the 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.


risingbd/Dhaka/July 12, 2018/Mahidi/AI