Staff Reporter
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the lower court in Dhaka to dispose the bail pleas of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in two defamation cases.
Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order after hearing two separate leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the government against a High Court order.
The High Court on May 31 ordered the trial court in Dhaka to expeditiously hear and dispose of two bail petitions filed by the BNP Chairperson in connection with the defamation cases.
The government on Monday morning filed two separate leave-to-appeal petitions with the SC challenging the HC orders.
After hearing on the leave-to-appeal petitions, the SC Chamber Judge ordered the Dhaka court to hear and dispose of the bail petitions of Khaleda Zia and sent the leave-to-appeal petitions to the full bench of the apex court for further hearing on June 25.
Additional Attorney General Murad Reza told that the Magistrate Court would decide on bail prayers when they will hear the bail petitions of Khaleda Zia.
Meanwhile, the High Court on Monday directed the trial court in Cumilla to expeditiously hear and dispose of the bail petition filed by Khaleda Zia in an arson case filed under Special Powers Act-1974 in connection with the killing of eight people and injuring 25-26 others by setting fire to a bus at Chouddagram of Cumilla in 2015.
The bench of Justice Md Shawkat Hossain and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Khaleda Zia seeking bail in the case.
The court also made some observations over the case, which will be known after the full text of its order will be released.
Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain took part in the hearing on behalf of the BNP Chairperson, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Moniruzzaman Rubel stood for the State.
Khaleda Zia’s another lawyer M Masud Rana filed the bail petitions with the HC with consent of the BNP chief.
Earlier on May 16, the SC upheld a HC order that granted bail to Khaleda for four months in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case in which she was sentenced to five years imprisonment.
But she is still in the jail as she has been shown arrested in seven cases, including the three.
