The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday stayed BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail till May 8 in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
A four-member appellate bench led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order.
The SC also allowed to state and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to file petitions against HC order that granted bail to Khaleda fixing May 8 for next hearing.
It also ordered to ACC and state to submit the concise statement of appeals within two weeks and BNP within four weeks.
Earlier on Sunday the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court fixed today (Monday) to deliver its judgment tomorrow (Monday) on leave to appeal petitions challenging BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail that the High Court granted her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
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 that the High Court granted her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Khurshid Alam said in the petition that ACC sought continuation of the stay order on a High Court bail order until the leave to appeal is disposed of.
Lawyer of Khaleda Zia filed a petition to the apex court seeking withdrawal of its stay order hours after issuance of it.
Earlier on March 14, the Supreme Court stayed until Sunday a High Court order granting a four-month interim bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Earlier on Tuesday, 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 Monday last, the High Court granted the interim bail to Khaleda Zia.
On February 22 last, 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 last, 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 old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city. — UNB, Dhaka.
