The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will deliver its judgment on Monday on the leave-to-appeal petitions challenging BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail, which the High Court granted her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
A four-member appellate bench led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain set the date concluding its hearing on two petitions filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the state and another filed by Khaleda Zia seeking withdrawal of the stay-on-bail order.
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan moved for the ACC, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam for the state, and advocates AJ Mohammad Ali and Khandaker Mahbub Hossain for Khaleda Zia.
Earlier on March 15, the ACC and the state filed two leave-to-appeal petitions before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail, which the High Court granted her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Khurshid Alam said in the petition that the ACC sought continuation of the stay order on a High Court bail order until the leave-to-appeal petition is disposed of.
Khaleda Zia’s lawyer filed a petition with the apex court seeking withdrawal of its stay order hours after its issuance.
Earlier on March 14, the Supreme Court stayed until Sunday a High Court order granting four-month interim bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
The apex court also asked the petitioners to file regular leave-to-appeal petitions by Sunday.
Earlier on Tuesday, the 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 March 12, the High Court granted the interim bail to Khaleda Zia.
On February 22, 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.
On February 8, 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. She was then sent to the old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city.
Monday, March 24, 2025
