Staff Reporter :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) will hear an appeal today (Thursday) filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia against a High Court order that had turned down her bail petition in Zia Charitable Trust case.
The medical board of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), which was formed for conducting Khaleda’s treatment, has submitted the health report to the Supreme Court in line with its previous directive, sources said.
The apex court on December 5 directed the BSMMU authorities to submit the medical report of BNP chief by December 11 without any failure.
The bail application of BNP chief has been included in the Appellate Division cause list as item number 12.
A six-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, will hear the bail plea today morning.
According to SC sources, the authorities concerned had taken fool proof security in and around the court premises to avoid any untoward incident ahead of the hearing.
As part of the security measures, the Supreme Court administration has set up eight close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the chief justice courtroom of the Appellate Division.
SC Registrar General Ali Akbar told reporters that they have installed the CCTV cameras on Monday night and Tuesday morning.
The authorities concerned took the decision for setting up the CCTV cameras inside the Appellate Division following the December 5 incident of chaos in the courtroom.
On December 5, there was unprecedented chaos took place in the Chief Justice’s courtroom during the hearing of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail petition in the Zia Charitable Trust case.
The chaos ensued following an agitation by pro-BNP lawyers during the hearing as a group of Pro-BNP lawyers chanted slogans in the courtroom demanding the unconditional release of the BNP chief that forced six judges of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain to leave the courtroom.
Earlier, on November 29, the apex court bench had sought Khaleda’s medical reports to know her health condition while hearing her bail petition in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case, in which she was imprisoned by a trial court.
The bench asked Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) to submit Khaleda’s health reports in the court by December 5. But, the BSMMU sought time on December 5 and then the apex court set December 12 for further hearing on the bail petition.
Khaleda had moved the top court on November 14, challenging an HC order that had turned down her bail petition in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.
On September 11, an HC bench of Justice Farid Ahmed and Justice ASM Abdul Mobin rejected Khaleda’s bail petition in the case in which she is serving a 10-year sentence. Her bail petitions were turned down twice before on July 31 and on September 3.
On August 8, 2011, the ACC lodged the Zia Charitable Trust case with Tejgaon police against four people, including Khaleda. They were accused of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
A special court jailed the BNP chief and three others for seven years in the corruption case on October 29 last year. Khaleda later moved the HC, which increased her sentence by three more years.
The former prime minister has been in prison since February 8, 2018 after she was sentenced to jail for five years in a separate corruption case. On April 1, Khaleda was admitted to BSMMU for better treatment in response to a court order.
