Two More Cases: Orders on Khaleda's bail pleas after July 5

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has to wait until July 5 to know the fate of her petitions seeking bail in two cases filed in connection with “undermining” the national flag and celebrating her “fake” birthday on August 15.

Two Dhaka courts were yesterday scheduled to pass orders on the bail petitions heard on April 25, but the courts kept those petitions in the case files without passing any order, said Khaleda's lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder.

The courts also asked the officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station to submit on July 5 the reports on the execution of arrest warrants in “undermining” the national flag and celebrating “fake” birthday cases.

Meanwhile, upholding the bail granted to Khaleda by the High Court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the HC to dispose of the appeal against her conviction by July 31. 

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Khurshid Alam was conducting the case filed for celebrating “fake” birthday on August 15 every year, while another Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ahsan Habib conducting the case filed for “undermining” the national flag. 

After Khaleda was convicted and sent to jail on February 8 in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, she was shown arrested in seven other cases, including these two cases and four in connection with arson, filed in Dhaka, Comilla, Khulna and Narail.

Apart from the two cases, there was no development in the other five cases yesterday.

In another development, lawyers for the BNP chief yesterday submitted four petitions with four Dhaka courts seeking withdrawal of production warrants issued earlier against Khaleda in Gatco, Niko, Barapukuria coal mine and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

Of them, production warrant of the Niko graft case was withdrawn, while judges of Gatco and Barapukuria coal mine graft cases will pass orders subject to submission of Khaleda's SC bail order in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

And judge of the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case fixed June 4 for passing an order on the petition filed for withdrawal of the production warrant, said Sanaullah Miah, lawyer for the BNP chief.

So, Khaleda cannot walk out of prison right now even after winning a hard-fought legal battle for bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case at the SC on Wednesday, as she didn't get bail in seven other cases in which she was shown arrested.

LAWYERS MEET KHALEDA

Khaleda yesterday alleged that the government was trying to keep her in jail for a long time so that it could hold a one-sided election like that of 2014.

She made the comment while four lawyers met her at the old Central Jail on Nazimuddin Road in Dhaka yesterday afternoon.

“Khaleda Zia said the lower courts were not granting her bail and withdrawing production warrants issued earlier against her, even though the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld her High Court bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case,” said Masud Ahmed Talukder, one of the lawyers who met her, told The Daily Star.

He said the BNP chief also instructed the party leaders and activists to continue the peaceful movement for her release.

Khaleda is seriously ill and she cannot move normally, the lawyer said, adding that she felt that if she was treated at United Hospital, she would get well.  

She also conveyed Ramadan greetings in advance to the people and her party leaders and activists, Masud said.

Three other lawyers who met Khaleda from 4:00pm to 5:15pm were Khandker Mahbub Hossain, AJ Mohammad Ali and Sanaullah Miah.