Gulam Rabbani:
BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s release fell into uncertainty as new legal complication arises.
After a month-long wait, she got bail for four months from the High Court (HC) on March 12 in Zia Orphanage Trust case. But hours after the bail order, the former Prime Minister was shown arrested in another case.
Arrest warrant already issued against her in three other cases.
A Dhaka court on October 12, 2017, issued an arrest warrant against Khaleda Zia in a case filed in 2016 on charge of ‘undermining Bangladesh’s liberation war’.
Another Dhaka court on November 17, 2016, issued arrest warrant against her in a case filed on charge of celebrating a ‘false birthday’ on 15 August. A Narail court on August 23, 2016, issued an arrest warrant against Khaleda for her remarks on the number of martyrs of the liberation war.
But her lawyers were not able to say the exact figure of the cases in which arrest warrant was issued so far against her.
The government has the power to make effective those warrants at any time.
Khaleda Zia has been facing as many as 34 lawsuits, sources said. Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain told The New Nation, “The government is doing such behaviors as a political vendetta. They want to keep the way smooth to hold on the power.”
Meanwhile, Law Minister Advocate Anisul Huq said that it was a sub-judice matter.
“I do not want to comment about it. The court will see whether she (Khaleda) will get release or not,” he added.
The HC bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order granting her bail after hearing the bail petition.
Meanwhile, on March 13, Anti-Corruption Commission and the government filed two separate appeal petitions against the HC order to stay the bail.
But the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hassan Foyez Siddique forwarded the two petitions to the full bench for hearing on Wednesday.
In the meantime, the bail that Khaleda got from the High Court will continue.
BNP Chairperson was shown arrested in another case, filed with Chowddagram Police Station in connection with an arson attack during blockade program in 2015, soon after the HC bail order.
Khaleeda Zia was sentenced to jail for five years on February 8 in connections with Zia Orphanage case filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2008.
Judge of the Special Court-5 of Dhaka also sentenced Khaleda Zia’s eldest son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each.
The BNP chief was taken to the prison on the same day afternoon after the Special Court delivered the judgment.
