Khaleda Zia's bail plea in corruption case rejected

A Bangladesh court on Thursday rejected former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's bail petition in a corruption case.

A sex-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud rejected her appeal against a High Court order that turned down her bail plea in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case, reports bdnews24.

The court ordered the authorities to swiftly take measures to ensure that Zia gets 'advanced treatment' in line with the recommendations of her medical board at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), provided the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supremo consents to it.

Zia's legal team had appealed to the High Court for her bail after she was sentenced to seven years in jail in the case.

The High Court turned down the bail appeal on July 31 taking into account the gravity of the crime and the highest punishment for the crime.

Reacting to Thursday's verdict, Zia's lawyer Khondoker Mahbub said: "We've fought a legal battle for her bail. It is unprecedented for a court to refuse bail in a case involving a seven-year sentence. This is a scandalous incident."

Zia, who is serving a total of 17 years in jail in two corruption cases, has been receiving treatment at the BSMMU since April.IANS