HC grants 6-month bail to Khaleda in 2 defamation cases

The High Court today granted bail to former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for six months in two separate defamation cases filed against her for hurting religious sentiments and her remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The bench of Justice Muhammad Abdul Hafiz and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order following two separate petitions.

Senior advocate AJ Mohammad Ali, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Zainul Abedin and AKM Ehsanur Rahman pleaded for Khaleda while deputy attorney general Fazlur Rahman Khan represented the state.

The bench set Tuesday for the order after hearing on the bail petitions for bail on Monday.

One of the cases was filed in 2014 for hurting religious sentiments while the other in 2016 for making derogatory remarks on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The trial of the cases is currently going on at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

AB Siddique, president of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, a front organization of ruling Awami League, filed the cases for making comments hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

On March 20, the trial court issued arrest warrants against Khaleda and the BNP chief filed two petitions with the High Court on May 22 seeking bail in those cases.

The hearing on her petitions ended on Monday.