Separate courts will hear on May 17 bail petitions filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in two cases -- one for celebrating 'fake' birthday and the other for undermining the country's map, national flag and the Liberation War, reports UNB.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Khurshid Alam set the date yesterday in the case filed for celebrating the 'fake' birthday while Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ahsan Habib fixed the date in the other case. The bail prayers were filed on April 12.

The orders came after Khaleda's lawyer Sanaullah Mih filed two petitions before the courts seeking their orders to produce the BNP chief during the next hearing in the two cases.

However, no court passed any order in the petitions filed for producing Khaleda before those. On November 17, 2016, a court here issued a warrant for the arrest of the BNP Chairperson in the case filed against her for celebrating 'fake' birthday on National Mourning Day on August 15.

Former joint general secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) Gazi Zahirul Islam filed the case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court accusing Khaleda of provoking people by celebrating her false birthday on August 15. The case was filed under sections 198 and 469 of the Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPC).

In his complaint, Jahirul Islam said Khaleda's date of birth was mentioned as August 15, 1946 in her latest passport while August 9, 1944 in her marriage registration and September 5, 1946, in her (unsuccessful) SSC mark sheet.

On November 3, 2016, President of Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami League organisation, AB Siddique, filed the other case with a court accusing Khaleda of undermining the country's map, national flag and liberation war.