Zia Charitable Trust case: Supreme Court to hear Khaleda’s bail plea Thursday

The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday an appeal filed BNP chief Khaleda Zia challenging a High Court order that turned down her bail plea in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

On Monday, a five-member bench of the Appellate Division of the top court led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain fixed the date.

The Appellate Chamber judge was expected to hear the petition on Monday.

Khaleda was represented by lawyers Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Zainul Abedin, Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Kayser Kamal and AKM Ehsanur Rahman.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state, while Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The High Court on July 31 rejected Khaleda’s bail petition in the case.

Oct 29 last year, a special court in Dhaka sentenced Khaleda to seven years in prison in the case dubbed “false” by the BNP.

The former prime minister was transferred to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital on Apr 1 this year for treatment from the old jailhouse on Nazim Uddin Road.

Khaleda has been in prison since February last year serving a total of 17 years in jail in the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases.