Khaleda files concise statement on appeals against her bail

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has recently filed two separate concise statements with the Supreme Court on the appeals against the High Court order that granted bail to her in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case in which she was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

A concise statement contains the points on which the lawyers place arguments on an appeal petition before the court. Khaleda Zia’s lawyers have submitted the concise statements earlier this week as per directives issued by the apex court on March 19.

Citing from the brief statements, Khaleda’s lawyer Barrister Kayser Kamal told The Daily Star today that the BNP chief has prayed to the apex court to uphold the HC order that granted bail to her in the case considering her old age, health ground, social status and short sentence.

Khaleda Zia, a three-time former prime minister, is now 73 years’ old, and she has been suffering from different ailments for long and the trial court has given her a short sentence in the case, he said.

Barrister Kayser Kamal also said the apex court may grant bail to the BNP chairperson considering all these aspects in this case.

The Appellate Division of the SC is scheduled to hold a hearing on the appeals on May 8.

The Anti-Corruption Commission and the government have submitted separate brief statements on April 8 and 12 respectively mentioning the points on which their counsels will place arguments on their appeals before the apex court.

The SC on March 19 stayed the HC bail order following the two leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the ACC and the government.

The same day, the apex court asked the ACC and government to submit concise statements on the appeals against the HC order in two weeks after receiving its order.

SC also asked Khaleda to submit concise statements on the appeals to this court in two weeks after the ACC and the government will place their statements.

The HC on March 12 granted Khaleda four months' bail on four grounds: a short sentence of five years, health condition, her facing trial, and that the case records have reached the court.

Khaleda landed in prison on February 8 after she was sentenced a five-year jail by a Dhaka special court for misappropriating a donation fund of the Zia Orphanage Trust.