The High Court on Thursday turned down a bail petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case in which she was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by a trial court.
The HC bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq passed the order after hearing the fresh bail petition filed on health and humanitarian grounds.
In its order, the High Court said, "Since the BSMMU report didn't acknowledge that the medical board was not competent to provide advance treatment to Khaleda Zia and since the board is competent and she is a convicted person, so there is no scope to give her opportunity for treatment other than the jail code."
"And we didn't find any new grounds in her bail petition. Considering all these, we have rejected the bail petition. But the medical board will have to provide Khaleda with advance treatment if she gives consent for it," the court in its ruling added.
However, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was not giving consent for her advance treatment to the medical board concerned of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), said a medical report submitted to the High Court.
The presiding judge of the HC bench read out the report in the court during holding hearing on the bail petition.
The apex court on December 12, 2019 asked the medical board of BSMMU to provide Khaleda with advance biological treatment with her consent after rejecting a bail petition in the case.
Following a fresh bail petition, this HC bench on Sunday wanted to know about the latest health condition of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Complying with the court order, the BSMMU authorities sent the report on Wednesday. And hearing on the report took place on Thursday.
Barrister Moudud Ahmed, advocate Zainul Abedin and barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan took part in the hearing on behalf of Khaleda Zia while advocate Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and attorney general Mahbubey Alam for the state.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on February 18 this year filed a fresh bail petition with the High Court on health grounds.
A special court in Dhaka on October 29, 2018 convicted Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case and sentenced her to seven-year rigorous imprisonment.
On November 18 in 2018, Khaleda lodged an appeal with the High Court challenging the lower court verdict and sought acquittal in the case. At the same time, she filed a bail petition which was rejected by the same HC bench on July 31, 2018.
Then she moved to the appellate division, but the apex court on December 12 last year rejected her bail petition.
The apex court, however, asked the medical board of BSMMU to provide Khaleda with advance biological treatment with her consent.
A six-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after dismissing her petition with observations.
Khaleda Zia is suffering from diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cough variant asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis with secondary Sjogren syndrome with bilateral total knee replacement due to advance knee osteoarthritis.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against Khaleda, Harris Chowdhury, Ziaul Islam and Monirul Islam Khan with Tejgaon Police Station on August 08, 2011.
Khaleda Zia landed in jail on February 08, 2018 after a Dhaka court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. The High Court on October 30 the same year enhanced her punishment to 10 years' imprisonment in this case.
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