The Supreme Court today upheld a High Court order that granted bail to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in a case filed on charge of killing eight people by torching a bus in Cumilla in 2015.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after dismissing a petition filed by the state seeking a stay on the High Court order.

However, Khaleda Zia cannot get released from jail following the Supreme Court order as she is arrested in few other cases including Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust Graft case, Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashirullah told The Daily Star.

The case was filed after eight people were killed and 25-26 injured by torching a bus in Cumilla's Chouddagram during anti-government agitations by the BNP-led alliance on February 2, 2015.

Following a bail petition filed by Khaleda, the HC on March 6 granted the six-month interim bail to her in the Cumilla murder case.