The court on Thursday directed authorities to show BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as arrested in two more cases, and set July 5 for the next hearing.
One of these cases was filed over defamatory statements Khaleda allegedly made against freedom fighters, and the other one was filed against the BNP chief over reportedly celebrating fake birthdays using false information.
Dhaka Metropolitan magistrates Ahsan Habib and Khurshid Alam passed the order for the abovementioned cases respectively.
The BNP chief was represented in the hearings by Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder.
“The court has set a date for passing its order on granting bail to Khaleda Zia in two cases. She has been imprisoned for the past four months. We want to bail her out as soon as possible,” the lawyer added.
Meanwhile, Chief Prosecutor at Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, Abdullah Abu, opposed granting bail to Khaleda Zia.
“Arrest warrants were issued against Khaleda Zia in two cases, but the warrants have not come into effect as yet. I have lodged a plea with the court, requesting that the hearing on bail be conducted after the warrants are active,” he added.
On August 30, journalist Gazi Zahirul Islam, former joint secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists, filed a case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court under sections 198 and 469 of the Penal Code, accusing Khaleda Zia of intentionally celebrating her fake birthday since August 15, 1996.
The celebration of a fake birthday on August 15 was a defamation of Bangabandhu and his family members, who were assassinated on August 15, 1975, the case statement read.
On November 3, 2016, Jananetri Parishad President AB Siddiqui filed a case against the BNP chairperson, accusing her of making derogatory statements against freedom fighters.