‘Khaleda Zia being pushed towards death day by day’

The Supreme Court Bar Association’s outgoing president Advocate Zainul Abedin today demanded immediate release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail on bail, saying that “she is being pushed towards death day by day”.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been kept in jail for a long period of time through filing of political cases against her, but the government has no intention to release her, Advocate Zainul, also a vice chairman of BNP and a lawyer for Khaleda, said while addressing a press conference at the SCBA auditorium.

The outgoing executive committee of the SCBA led by Zainul Abedin will hand over its responsibility to its newly elected committee led by Advocate AM Aminuddin tomorrow. The new committee was elected in the election held on March 13 and 14.

Zainul Abedin said after the High Court grants bail to Khaleda Zia in any case, the attorney general’s office files a petition with the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the HC order of bail to her.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam is working for the government, not for the state, he commented.

Replying to a question from the reporters, SCBA Secretary Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, also a joint secretary general of BNP, said neither Khaleda Zia nor his family has applied for her release on parole.

Even, the government has not proposed for Khaleda Zia’s release on parole, he said, adding that they heard about the issue of parole for Khaleda through media and it might be a strategy of the government to divert the nation’s attention about her illness.

Barrister Khokon also said that a conspiracy is going on to transfer Khaleda Zia to the jail in Keraniganj through admitting her to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).