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The Supreme Court Appellate Division has ‘upheld’ the High Court decision granting a six-month interim bail to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Cumilla murder case over the firebombing of a bus.
Published : 12 Aug 2018, 11:45 AM
A four-member appellate bench led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, issued a ‘no order’ on Sunday, after hearing a state petition to dismiss the bail.
According to the decision, the bail order will be maintained, said Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman, a member of Khaleda Zia’s defence team.
Eight people were killed after a night coach was petrol bombed in Chauddagram on Feb 3, 2015 during the BNP-Jamaat alliance’s protests. Two separate cases – one for murder, the other under the Explosives Act – were filed over the incident.
Later the case that was filed under the Explosives Act was changed to the Special Powers Act following the appeal filed by police.
Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia had been in prison since being sentenced to five years in jail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Feb 8.
Despite receiving a bail in several cases, she has remained in detention due to other pending cases.
A bail petition was filed to a Cumilla Special Court showing Khaleda as an arrestee in the case under the Special Powers Act.
Judge KM Shamsul Alam had endorsed the police’s move to name Khaleda as an arrestee in the case but did not take any decision about her bail plea, setting Aug 8 for a hearing.
Then Khaleda’s lawyers filed a bail petition with the High Court. The court had ordered the Cumilla court to settle the bail appeal by Jul 26.
The court rejected the appeal on Jul 25 and the lawyers filed another bail petition at the court on Jul 29.
A High Court bench, led by Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mojibur Rahman, then granted a six-month interim bail to Khaleda after hearing the appeal on Aug 6.
Later, an appeal was filed by the state with the Supreme Court and Chamber Judge Hasan Foez Siddique issued a ‘no order’, taking the matter to the Appellate Division.
The Appellate Division then heard the appeal on Thursday and issued the order on Sunday.
“The Appellate Division has issued a ‘no order’ on the appeal by the state. The top court did not order any stay. This means, the six-month interim bail granted by the High Court will be maintained,” Khaleda’s lawyer Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman told bdnews24.com.
