Cumilla arson case
SC order on Khaleda bail on July 2
STAFF REPORTER
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday fixed July 2 to deliver its verdict on the appeal filed by the government against the High Court (HC) order that granted bail to BNP chief Khaleda Zia in the murder case filed over the petrol bombing of a bus in 2015 in Cumillas Chauddagram. A four-member bench, headed by the Chief Justice, set the date after hearing the appeal filed by the government against the HC order granting bail to the BNP chief in the case.
The same bench of the apex court also fixed today (Monday) for the hearing on another appeal filed by the government against the HC order that granted bail to the BNP chief in connection with the case filed under the Special Powers Act over the torching of a covered van in Cumilla.
Attorney-general Mahbubey Alam represented the state during yesterdays (Sundays) hearing while advocates Mohammad Ali, Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Zainul Abedin and Mahbub Uddin Khokan represented Khaleda Zia.
Earlier, on May 30, the chamber court stayed the HC order that granted bail to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for six months in the two Cumilla arson cases.
The government had on May 28 filed separate appeal petitions with the chamber court of the Appellate Division for staying the HC order passed a few hours ago to grant six months bail to the BNP chief in two arson cases in Cumilla.
On the same day (May 28), the HC bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice JBM Hassan granted six months bail for Khaleda Zia in the cases filed over vandalism in Chouddagram in January 2015 and the killing of eight and injuring 2526 others by setting a passenger bus ablaze in Chouddagram on February 2, 2015.
The two cases were filed in Cumilla on charges of vandalising vehicles in 2015. Eight people were killed and at least 20 injured when assailants hurled a petrol bomb at a bus in Jagmohanpur area of Chouddagram under Cumilla district during the BNP-led alliances protests on February 3, 2015.
Two casesone under the Explosive Substances Act and another for murderwere filed against Khaleda in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commissions (ACCs) lawyer, advocate Khurshid Alam Khan, yesterday moved the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman for a quick hearing on an appeal filed by the BNP chief, Khaleda Zia, against the lower court verdict that sentenced her to five years in jail in connection with the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
Later, Khan told The Independent that the matter of Khaleda Zias appeal would come up in the Mondays cause list of the High Court for fixing a date of hearing on the appeal.
On February 8, the Special Judges Court-5 of Dhaka sentenced Khaleda to five years rigorous imprisonment in the graft case. On March 13, the HC granted her bail for four months in the case and on May 16, the Appellate Division of the SC had also upheld the HC order that had granted bail to Khaleda in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
However, the BNP chief was not freed from jail as she was shown arrested in some other cases filed with different police stations in Cumilla, Dhaka, Narail and Panchagarh, including the three in which she has already sought bail. The BNP chairperson is currently facing a total of 36 cases.
