The “phone call” between Awami League and BNP’s top brass has raised eyebrows as both senior party leaders came forth with contradictory statements regarding BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s parole on Tuesday.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader claimed that Bangladesh Nationalist Party General (BNP) Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam had called him on his mobile phone and requested him to convince Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina about the need for Khaleda Zia to be freed on parole.
The BNP general secretary said he did not talk about Khaleda’s parole.
For his part, Fakrul said: “Madam’s (Khaleda Zia) parole is her family’s prerogative. They are the ones to make the decision, not us.” He was speaking to reporters after paying homage to the late BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at his grave.
On the other hand, Quader said that he had a record of the phone conversation between him and Fakrul regarding Khaleda Zia’s parole.
Amid all the confusion, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed a bail petition with the High Court in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case on Tuesday.
In her petition, Khaleda mentioned that she wanted to go to a developed country like the United Kingdom for better treatment provided that she got bail.
Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon, a member of Khaleda's lawyers' panel, confirmed the matter.
Earlier on December 12, 2019, the full Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, rejected the incarcerated BNP chief's bail petition in the graft case.
The court also ordered the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) authorities to ensure her advanced treatment in line with the medical board's recommendations, after getting her consent.
As per court order, the BSMMU authorities submitted an updated medical report on Khaleda's health condition before it on December 11.
Earlier on November 28, the court asked the medical board formed at BSMMU for Khaleda's treatment to submit the medical report before it on December 5.
On November 14, the BNP chairperson filed the appeal with the Appellate Division against a High Court order that had rejected her bail plea in the same case.
On July 31, a High Court bench rejected Khaleda's bail petition in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case, in which she was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
The court also ordered a status quo on the subordinate court's order to confiscate around 69,421.49 acres of land bought in the name of the Zia Charitable Trust and asked it to send all of the documents related to this case to the apex court.
On April 30, the High Court accepted Khaleda's appeal petition challenging a trial court verdict.
On November 18, 2018, Khaleda filed the appeal on 20 grounds, asking the court to scrap the verdict along with the fine and grant her bail.
Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) since April 1 last year.
