Charitable Trust case: Khaleda Zia’s bail hearing Tuesday

Charitable Trust case: Khaleda Zia’s bail hearing Tuesday

The High Court is scheduled to hear the bail petition of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust case.

The bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman fixed the date on Sunday after hearing a petition by the former prime minister’s lawyers.

Moudud Ahmed, Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Joynul Abedin, and Kayser Kamal, among others, stood for Khaleda Zia.

Kayser said the case documents arrived from the subordinate court. “We applied for holding a hearing on the bail plea and the court fixed Tuesday,” he said.

A special court sentenced Khaleda to seven years in jail in the Zia Charitable Trust case on October 29 last year. Three others, including her former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, were also convicted.

The BNP chief moved the High Court against the verdict.

Justice Obaidul Hassan-led bench then ordered the subordinate court to send documents within two months. The court said the bail petition would be heard when the documents arrive. The documents reached the High Court on June 20.

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia has been in jail since February last year after she was jailed for corruption in the Zia Orphanage Trust case. Her jail term was later doubled.

She has moved the Appellate Division, challenging her conviction.

Her party, the BNP, claims that the cases against her are politically motivated and aimed at keeping her out of politics. The government denies the allegation.