DHAKA:  The Supreme Court stayed till April 7 a High Court order that granted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia six months of bail in a murder case filed in Cumilla. 

The chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Md Nuruzzaman passed the order on Sunday (March 31) following a leave-to-appeal petition filed by the state challenging the HC bail order. 

The apex court also sent the petition to its full bench for further hearing on the same day. 

Lawyer A. J Mohammad Ali moved for Khaleda Zia while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah moved for the state.

Earlier on March 6, An HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mojibur Rahman granted 6 months of bail order. 

A Cumilla court rejected her bail plea on February 4.

On February 3 in 2015, eight people were killed and several others injured in a petrol bomb attack on a bus at Jogmohanpur in Chouddagram of Cumilla district during the BNP-led alliance’s movement.

On February 3, Sub Inspector of Chauddagram Police Station Nuruzzaman Hawlader filed 2 cases on charges of explosive and murder.

Khaleda Zia has been serving her five years’ sentence in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case since February 8 of 2018.

BDST:  2021 HRS, MAR 31, 2019

AH/SMS