Dhaka, 9 May, Abnews: The Supreme Court began on Wednesday morning for the second consecutive day the hearing on the leave-to-appeal petitions challenging BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's bail that the High Court granted her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
The SC also allowed the State and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to file petitions against the HC order that granted bail to Khaleda.
Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Justice Muhammad Imman Ali, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Justice Mirza Hussain Haider started the hearing at 9:15am.
On March 19, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed Khaleda Zia’s bail till May 8 in the graft case in which she was convicted by the lower court and sent to jail.
Senior lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali, Supreme Court Bar Association President Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and other senior lawyers stood for Khaleda Zia while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam moved for the state.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moin Khan and others attended the court house.
The SC also allowed the State and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to file petitions against the HC order that granted bail to Khaleda.
On Feb 8, a Dhaka court sentenced BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fines her Tk 2 crore for financial irregularities in the Zia Orphanage Trust.
After Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad, Khaleda is the second head of the government convicted in a graft case.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK, and four others of misappropriating over 2.10 crore that came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.
Four other accused are former BNP MP Salimul Haq Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique and Mominur Rahman, nephew of late President Ziaur Rahman.Kamal Uddin Siddique and Mominur Rahman have long been absconding.
ABN/Adrian/Jasim/AD