Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday extended for one year its earlier orders that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in five cases.
Two HC benches passed the extension orders on Monday and Tuesday, upon five separate prayers moved by Khaleda Zia’s lawyers.
A High Court bench of Justice Muhammad Abdul Hafiz and Justice Mohammad Ali on Tuesday extended the bail order in four defamation cases filed against Khaleda Zia in Dhaka and Narail in 2018.
Another bench comprising Justice A K M Asaduzzaman and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo on Monday extended the bail in a murder case filed in Cumilla in 2015.
Lawyers Kayser Kamal and AHM Kamruzzaman Mamun, Shamima Sultana and Maksud Ullah appeared for Khaleda Zia during the hearing.
Khaleda Zia secured High Court bail on March 6 in 2019 in the Cumilla murder case. Later, on August 20 of that year the bail was extended for one year and on Monday it was extended again for another year.
In the defamation cases filed in Dhaka and Narail BNP chairperson secured High Court bail in 2018 and 2019. Later the bails were extended several times.
Lawyers said, Khaleda Zia is accused in 36 criminal cases, and she is now on bail in 34 cases.
The BNP chief has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 17 years, in total, in Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases by the trial court and HC.
She was released from jail on March 25 last year following an executive order of the government suspending her jail sentences.
Later the government extended the suspension of BNP chairperson’s prison sentence thrice allowing her to stay out of jail.
