Cumilla court rejects Khaleda’s bail plea

A Cumilla court has rejected BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s ad-interim bail petition on charge of instigating an arson attack on in the district's Chauddagram upazila in 2015 that killed eight people. District and Sessions Judge Jesmin Ara Begum passed the order Monday afternoon after the BNP chief's lawyers moved the petition seeking bail in the case. The court also fixed April 23 for the next hearing in the case. Kazi Nazmus Sadat, one of Khaleda's counsels, confirmed the matter to the Dhaka Tribune. On April 10, Senior Judicial Magistrate Mustain Billah of Comilla Cognizance Court 5 rejected a bail petition filed by Khaleda’s lawyers in the case. On February 3, 2015, eight people were killed and 25-30 others injured when miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at a bus on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Jogmohonpur area during a movement enforced by the BNP-led 20 party alliance. Three cases – one for killing, one under the Explosive Substances Act, and the other under the Special Powers Act – were filed with Chauddagram police station against Khaleda Zia and several top BNP leaders.

Narail court to hear Khaleda bail plea on May 8

A Narail court on Monday fixed May 8 for hearing an appeal petition seeking the BNP chairperson's bail in a case against her for allegedly making derogatory remarks regarding the Liberation War. Judge of the Narail Cognizance Court, Senior Judicial Magistrate Zahidul Azad, passed the order following a petition filed by her lawyer, reported UNB. On August 23, 2016, the court issued a warrant for the arrest of Khaleda Zia for allegedly making derogatory remarks on the number of martyrs who died during the Liberation War in 1971. On July 25, a court summoned Khaleda over the issue. On December 21, 2015, Khaleda Zia during a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh raised questions about the actual number of Liberation War martyrs. "There are controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War. There are also many books and documents on the controversies,” she said. Reacting to Khaleda's remark, Raihan Farooque Imam of Naragati filed a case with the Cognizance Court on December 24, 2015.