Khaleda denied bail in Narail

A Narail court yesterday denied bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a defamation case filed over her alleged derogatory remarks on martyrs of the Liberation War and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, reports UNB.

Judge Jahidul Azad, senior judicial magistrate of Narail court, passed the order. On July 2, the court concluded the hearing and kept the delivery of verdict pending.

On June 5, Judge Sheikh Abdul Ahad of the District and Sessions Judge's Court denied bail to Khaleda.

Raihan Farooque Imam from Naragati filed the case with the Cognisance Court on December 24, 2015, reacting on remarks made by the BNP chief at a discussion at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on December 21 the same year.

During the discussion, Khaleda raised questions about the actual number of Liberation War martyrs saying, "There are controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War. There are also many books and documents on the controversies."

ZIA CHARITABLE TRUST GRAFT CASE

A Dhaka court yesterday extended the bail of Khaleda Zia until July 24 in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 passed the order after Khaleda's lawyer Sanaullah Mia submitted a petition seeking extension of the bail.

On July 10, the same court extended her bail till yesterday in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission with Tejgaon police in August 2011 accusing Khaleda and three others of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.

The other three accused are Harris Chowdhury, political secretary of then prime minister Khaleda from 2001 till 2006; Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

Khaleda, accused in over 34 cases, is currently serving a five-year prison term in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.