Defamation cases: SC to hear plea against Khaleda’s HC bail Oct 1

The Supreme Court today fixed October 1 for hearing two petitions filed by the government seeking stay on the High Court order that granted bail to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in two defamation cases filed in Dhaka and Narail districts.

The full bench of the Appellate Division will hear the petitions, Deputy Attorney General MA Kamrul Ahsan Khan Aslam told The Daily Star.

The Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique sent the petitions to the full bench for their hearing on October 1.

Earlier this month, the High Court order that granted bail to Khaleda Zia in the cases will remain in force until further order, Barrister Kayser Kamal, a lawyer for Khaleda, told The Daily Star.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam moved the petitions.

The government on August 16 filed separate petitions with the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the High Court orders granting bail to Khaleda in the two defamation cases.

According to the petitions, the BNP chief made derogatory comments about the number of Liberation War martyrs and demeaned Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

So, Khaleda cannot get bail in the cases, DAG Aslam said.

On December 21, 2015, Khaleda at a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in Dhaka raised questions about the actual number of Liberation War martyrs saying, "There're controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War.”

Reacting over Khaleda's remarks, Raihan Farooque Imam of Naragati in Narail filed a defamation case against her on December 24, 2015.

On January 5, 2016, AB Siddiqui, president of Jananetri Parishad, filed another defamation case with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka against the BNP chief over the same remark.