The High Court today granted permanent bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim delivered the verdict after holding final hearing on a petition filed by Khaleda in 2008 seeking bail in the graft cases.
In that year, the HC had granted her anticipatory bail and issued a rule asking the government to explain why the BNP chief should not be granted regular bail in the cases.
Later on, the HC extended her bail.
Khaleda, accused in 37 cases, is now on bail in all the cases, Advocate Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan, a lawyer to the BNP chief, told The Daily Star.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on July 3, 2008 accusing Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore that was received as grants for orphans via a foreign bank.
Of the six accused, Khaleda, former BNP lawmaker Salimul Haq Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed are on bail while the others including Tarique have been absconding.
On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case with Tejgaon Police Station, accusing four people, including Khaleda, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources through abuse of power.
Source: The Daily Star