SC hearing on Khaleda’s bail in 2 cases Sunday

The Supreme Court is set to hold hearing on Sunday on the leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the government challenging the High Court orders that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in two criminal cases lodged in Comilla.

The two petitions have been included in Sunday’s cause-list of the Appellate Division of the SC as item Nos 10 and 11 for their hearing, according to the SC website published today.

The government has recently submitted two leave-to-appeal petitions to the SC seeking cancellation of the HC orders that granted bail to Khaleda Zia in two cases lodged in Comilla.

In the petitions, the government said the HC has failed to consider the fact that the incidents of killing and vandalism took place at the instruction and instigation of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and she cannot get bail in the cases filed in connection with the incidents, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star.

On May 28, the HC granted bail for six months to Khaleda in two cases.

One of the cases was filed in connection with vandalising vehicles in Comilla's Chouddagram area on January 25, 2015. The other was filed over killing seven people and injuring 25-26 others by setting fire on a bus in Chouddagram on February 2, 2015.

Following two stay petitions filed by the government, chamber judge of the SC on May 29 stayed the HC orders of bail and sent the stay petitions to its full bench for their hearing on May 31.

After hearing the stay petitions, a three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain on May 31 extended its chamber judge’s order and asked the government to file two separate leave to appeal petitions with this court by June 24 against the HC bail orders in the cases.

The apex court also fixed June 24 for holding hearing on the leave to appeal petitions.

On May 16, the SC upheld a HC order that granted four month’s bail to Khaleda in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case in which she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the trial court. 

But, Khaleda, who landed in jail on February 8, could not walk out of jail as she was shown arrested in seven other cases filed in Comilla, Dhaka and Narail.