SC full bench to hear appeal against Khaleda bail Wednesday

FT ONLINE

The full bench of the Appellate Division is scheduled to hear on Wednesday two appeals filed by the state and the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) against a High Court order that granted bail to BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The High Court on Monday granted four-month bail to the BNP chairperson in the case, in which she was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

A High Court Division bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order, asking the department concerned of the court to prepare paperbook of the case within the time.

Following the order, the state and the ACC filed two appeals this morning, pleading to stay the bail for four months.

Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, Chamber Judge of Appellate Division, sent the matters to be heard tomorrow at the full bench of the apex court.

On February 8 last, the Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 sentenced Khaleda Zia to five-year imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

It also sentenced other five accused, including Khaleda's elder son and BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, to 10-year imprisonment each.

The other persons who were convicted in the graft case are former lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Khaleda's nephew Mominur Rahman.