Two courts in Dhaka today rejected two bail petitions of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in two cases filed for "undermining” the national flag and celebrating "fake" birthday on August 15.

Metropolitan Magistrates Md Ahsan Habib and Md Khurshid Alam rejected the two bail petitions respectively.

Earlier on June 21, the Dhaka courts fixed July 5 for passing orders on the bail petitions by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in connection with the cases.

The BNP chairperson filed the petitions with the HC on May 22 seeking bail in the two cases lodged in Dhaka in 2016.

One of the cases 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, former president Ziaur Rahman, of “undermining” the country's map and national flag.

The second case was filed by Gazi Zahirul Islam, former joint general secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists, with another Dhaka court on August 30, 2016, accusing Khaleda of celebrating her “fake birthday” on August 15 every year.