SC stays Khaleda’s bail until Sunday

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has blocked the bail for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case until Sunday, report agencies.

The former prime minister has been serving a five-year prison sentence since Feb 8 when a Dhaka court convicted her of misusing international donations meant for an orphanage.

The four-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after hearing two petitions filed against the High Court order.

The apex court also asked the petitioners to file regular leave-to-appeal petitions by Sunday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Appellate Division chamber judge Justice Hasan Foez Siddique sent the two petitions to the full bench of the division without passing any order.

Advocate Sufia Khatun filed a petition on behalf of the state while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan lodged another one on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

On Monday, the High Court granted the interim bail to Khaleda Zia.

On February 22 last, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed a petition with the High Court seeking bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. On the day, the HC asked the lower court to submit all the relevant documents within 15 days.

On February 25, Khaleda Zia failed to secure bail in the case as the High Court said it would pass an order on her bail petition upon receiving all the documents relating to the judgment from the lower court.