A decision on whether to uphold the bail granted to BNP chief Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust case will be given on Oct 14.
Special Judge of the Dhaka court Md Akhtaruzzaman fixed the date after a hearing on Sunday, as per bdnews24.com report.
The BNP chief has been in jail since Feb 8 when a special court sentenced her to five years in prison for corruption in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. She has since received bail in that case.
The trial of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case began at a makeshift court inside the jailhouse in the absence of Khaleda, who had failed to appear in court for the last seven months citing health issues.
On Sept 20, Judge Akhtaruzzaman made the decision to go ahead with the graft case without Khaleda in attendance.
The lawyers of the BNP chief filed petitions seeking an extension of Khaleda’s bail despite her absence in the court and the judge had initially agreed to them.
After an objection from the state, the court asked her lawyers to explain why the bail order of Khaleda would not be cancelled because she was not in court to petition for it. The court then set Sunday for the next hearing.
Khaleda has been now admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on Saturday for treatment.
On Sunday she was represented by advocates Sanaullah Mia and Masud Ahmed Talukder while the state was represented by the Anti-Corruption Commission counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kazal.
The judge fixed Oct 14 for the decision after the hearing.
Security was lighter at the old jailhouse on Nazimuddin Road on Sunday. Law-enforcement officers did not block the roads or any vehicle passing by, as it had on the previous days.
The ACC had filed the corruption case with Tejgoan Police Station in 2010, accusing Khaleda and three others of embezzling Tk 31.54 million from the Zia Charitable Trust.
