The High Court yesterday denied BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia bail in an arson case lodged under the Special Powers Act in Comilla in 2015.

The court, however, directed the lower court concerned in Comilla to hear and dispose of her bail petition by July 26.

The HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman passed the order after Khaleda filed the bail petition.

The judges in the order said, “If the trial court did not dispose of the application for bail [filed by Khaleda], we are of the view that instead of considering the bail application at this stage by this court [HC], it is a fit case to send back the case to the trial court to dispose of the application [for bail] on merit within July 26, 2018.”

On February 2, 2015, eight people were killed and many others injured after a bus was torched in Comilla's Chouddagram upazila during anti-government agitation.

The following day, police lodged two cases -- one for murder and another under the Special Powers Act, 1974 -- with Chouddagram Police Station.

Khaleda, who stands accused in 34 cases, submitted the petition to the HC on June 5 this year seeking bail in the arson case filed under the Special Powers Act.

Deputy Attorney General Md Bashir Ullah told The Daily Star that Khaleda filed a bail petition with the Special Tribunal-1 of Comilla in the case on July 1.

The tribunal, which had fixed August 8 for hearing the bail petition of Khaleda, will have to dispose of the petition by July 26 as per yesterday's HC order, Bashir added. 

Khaleda, who landed in jail on February 8 this year after a special court in Dhaka sentenced her to five-year jail in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, is now arrested in six other cases filed in Comilla, Dhaka, Khulna and Narail.

In another development, the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman yesterday continued for the seventh day the hearing on an appeal filed by Khaleda challenging the lower court verdict that sentenced her.

The bench fixed 10:30am today for resuming the hearing, Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star. 

On July 18, the HC bench led by Justice Enayetur Rahim extended till July 26 its earlier order that granted bail to Khaleda in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.