BNP hopes Supreme Court will uphold Khaleda’s bail on Tuesday

The BNP expects the Supreme Court to uphold Khaleda Zia’s bail she has secured from the High Court in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, considering her health.

But it fears the government may delay her release by showing her arrested in other cases.

The Appellate Division is set to hear an appeal by the Anti-Corruption Commission challenging the High Court’s bail order for Khaleda on Tuesday.

According to the Supreme Court website, the bench of Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Justice Muhammad Imman Ali, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, and Justice Mirza Hussain Haider will hear the appeal, which is on no. 9 on the day’s agenda.

File Photo

The BNP chief has been in the old jailhouse on Nazimuddin Road since Feb 8 when a special court sentenced her to five years in prison for corruption in the orphanage trust.

The High Court on Mar 12 granted Khaleda a four-month interim bail, considering her age and health issues after the special court released the full verdict.

When ACC and the State moved the Appellate Division, it suspended the bail order until May 8, allowing these two to start appeals against the bail.

The authorities formed a team of doctors to treat her and she was taken to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on Apr 7 for a checkup.

The 73-year-old former prime minister is suffering from problems in her heart, eyes and knee, her doctors earlier said. She is on regular medication.

On Monday, pro-BNP lawyers’ organisation Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum staged a sit-in at the Supreme Court premises.

Senior BNP leader Moudud Ahmed, who is also one of the lawyers for Khaleda, said, “Looking at all the information in the case and considering her physical condition, I strongly believe (she) get bail order tomorrow (Tuesday).”

Moudud Ahmed (File Photo)

He also threatened to topple the government through ‘violence’.

“We’ve tried to have our demands met through systematic, peaceful demonstrations. But the people don’t want to see peaceful programmes anymore. They want to see a change in government.”

“The freedom of judiciary, democratic rights, people’s right to vote and justice will be restored through movement after freeing Khaleda Zia,” the BNP Standing Committee member added.

Another member of the Standing Committee, Nazrul Islam Khan, echoed Moudud at a discussion at the National Press Club.

“We are staging peaceful programmes following orders from her and our acting chief Tarique Rahman. But that does not mean we will tolerate whatever the government does,” he said.

“There is pressure from our grassroots now. Even in today’s (Monday’s) meeting, I’ve seen the audience applaude all who spoke about taking to the streets. It is like a demand of the mass now,” he added.

He hoped the Supreme Court would confirm Khaleda’s bail, but the government would show her arrested in other cases.

“They may continue showing her arrested in one case after another,” he said.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Zainul Abedin said at the sit-in that Khaleda’s health would not have deteriorated if the Appellate Division granted her bail without delaying the hearing.

“I hope the court will prove that it is independent by granting Khaleda Zia bail tomorrow (Tuesday). Otherwise, we will have to think that you (judges) are in fear after seeing (former chief justice SK Sinha) forced out by the government,” he added.