The High Court today extended till July 31 it's earlier order that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mustafizur Rahman passed the order following a petition filed by Khaleda seeking extension of her bail.

The Special Judge’s Court-5 of Dhaka on February 8 had sentenced the BNP chief to five years’ imprisonment in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

On March 12, the HC granted four months’ bail to Khaleda in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Following the extension petition filed by Khaleda, the HC on July 12 extended her (Khaleda) bail till July 19. The court on July 18 following the same petition extended the bail order till today.

Meanwhile yesterday, the same HC bench continued for eighth 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 bench adjourned the hearing till 10:30am on July 29.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Khaleda’s lawyer Advocate AbdurRezak Khan read out the statements of the witnesses from the paper book of the case and also placed arguments before the court.

Earlier in the day, ACC lawyer Advocate KhusrhidAlam Khan also read out the statements of the witnesses from the paper book of the case before the bench. 

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.