Khaleda's bail: SC upholds HC order to speedily dispose of 2 petitions

The Supreme Court today upheld the High Court order that directed the magistrate courts concerned to speedily dispose of two bail petitions filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in connection to two cases filed on charges of observing “fake” birthday and “demeaning” the national flag.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order through dismissing two leave to appeal petition filed by the government challenging the HC order.

The HC on May 31, ordered the chief metropolitan magistrate courts concerned in Dhaka to expeditiously hear and dispose of the bail petitions filed by Khaleda in the cases.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order after hearing two separate bail petitions filed by Khaleda.

One of the cases was filed by Gazi Zahirul Islam, former joint general secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists, on August 30, 2016, with a Dhaka court against Khaleda for allegedly celebrating her “fake” birthday on August 15 every year.

The second case was filed by AB Siddique, president of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami League organisation, with a Dhaka court on November 3, 2016, accusing Khaleda and her late husband and former president Ziaur Rahman of “undermining” the country's map and national flag.