Comilla arson: Khaleda seeks HC bail

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today filed an appeal with the High Court seeking bail in a 2015 arson case of Comilla lodged under the Special Powers Act.

Eight people were killed and many others injured after a bus was torched in Comilla's Chouddagram upazila on February 2, 2015, 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.

On July 25, a Comilla court rejected a bail petition filed by Khaleda in the arson case lodged under the Special Powers Act, after the High Court directed quick disposal of her petition.

Today, Khaleda filed the appeal with the HC challenging the Comilla court’s rejection order. In the appeal she prayed for bail in the case.

The HC is yet to set any date for hearing the appeal, Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman, a lawyer for Khaleda, told The Daily Star.

The Comilla court on July 1 issued arrest warrant against Khaleda in the arson case filed under the Special Powers Act.

Meanwhile today, the HC continued for ninth day the hearing on Khaleda’s appeal challenging the trial court verdict on her in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

After concluding today’s proceedings, the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman adjourned the hearing till 10:30am tomorrow.

The same HC bench is set to hear four appeals in the graft case. Of the pleas, one was filed by the BNP chief seeking acquittal of the charges and another by the ACC seeking increase in Khaleda’s jail term.

Two others convicts Qazi Saleemul Huq alias Qazi Kamal and Sharfuddin Ahmed filed appeals seeking acquittal of the charges.

The trial court had also jailed BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and four others to 10 years’ imprisonment and fined them Tk 2.1 crore each.