Khaleda Zia’s release term extended for 6 months

 BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia

The government has approved the proposal of suspending Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s prison sentences in two graft cases for six more months, said a notice issued on Monday.

Her bail term had been extended keeping the conditions unchanged.

The BNP chairperson’s sentence had been suspended for six months under sub-section 1 of section 401 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The BNP chairperson’s conviction was earlier suspended on two conditions — she would take medical treatment from home and would not leave the country.

Khaleda was released from jail on the two conditions for six months on an executive order on March 25, 2020 during the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Since then she has been staying at her Gulshan residence.

The time of suspension of her conviction was extended for six months on September 25, 2020.

Khaleda was jailed on February 8, 2018 for five years in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

She was also sentenced for seven years in jail in Zia Charitable Trust graft case on October 29, 2018.

On October 30, 2018, the High Court doubled her five-year jail term in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.

She was granted interim bail in all but the two cases related to Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust.

New Age