A Dhaka court has denied BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's bail petition in two separate defamation cases.
The two cases revolve around celebrations of her “fake” Birthday, and undermining the country's map, national flag, and Liberation War legacy.
Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge, Imrul Kayes, sanctioned the order on Wednesday and fixed July 31 as the new date for hearings on the cases.
On July 5, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Khurshid Alam rejected the bail petition in the “fake” birthday case, while Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ahsan Habib rejected the bail plea in the other case.
Earlier, on June 21, the courts fixed July 5 to pronounce their orders on the bail petitions of Khaleda Zia in the two cases.
Khaleda's lawyer, Advocate Sanaullah Miah, filed the petitions with the two courts on April 12.
On November 17, 2016, a Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant on National Mourning Day, August 15, for Khaleda Zia in the “fake” birthday case.
Former joint general secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Gazi Zahirul Islam, filed the case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court, accusing Khaleda of provoking people by celebrating her “fake” birthday on August 15.
The case was filed under sections 198 and 469 of the Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPC).
In his complaint, Jahirul Islam said Khaleda's date of birth was August 15, 1946, in her passport, but August 9, 1944, for her marriage registration, and September 5, 1946, on her SSC mark sheet.
On November 3, 2016, AB Siddique, president of Jananetri Parishad, filed the other case with a court, accusing Khaleda of undermining the country's map, the national flag, and the country’s Liberation War legacy.
On February 8, a special court sentenced Khaleda to five years in jail for the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. Since then she has been in Old Dhaka Central Jail.