The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court yesterday granted bail for six months to detained ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman in Zia Orphanage Trust fund embezzlement case.

Granting mother and son bail on special considerations of their failing health, a Division Bench comprising Justice Sharif Uddin Chaklader and Justice M Emdadul Haque Azad issued separate rules asking the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to explain in six weeks why the petitioners should not be granted regular bail.

This is the first case in which Khaleda Zia, who faces four graft cases, secured interim bail from the High Court.

The higher-court order for the immediate-past premier's interim release in this case came at a time when her party and alliance are pressing for her and her elder son's release.

Advisers of the caretaker government have long said their release matters were under process, but BNP leaders grumble that their release was caught up in tangles of conditions that boil down to their staying away from politics.

Earlier, a Dhaka Court had denied her bail in this (Zia Orphanage) case.

On July 3, Anti-Corruption Commission deputy assistant director Harunur Rashid filed the graft case with Ramna police station against Khaleda, her son Tarique and five others on charges of embezzling over Tk 2.10 crore by forming an establishment named Zia Orphanage Trust (ZOT).

They were sued amid a clampdown on the country's political arena after the January 11, 2007 changeover following a political crisis over election issues, which also landed many other political leaders and bigwigs behind bars.

Barrister Nasir Uddin Ashim, a counsel for Khaleda, told UNB that they would move to the High Court seeking interim bail for her in the remaining three cases-Gatco, Niko and Barapukuria Coalmine scam cases.

Khaleda has been incarcerated into a makeshift sub-jail at the high-security parliament complex since September 3 last year.

Barrister Rafique-ul Huq and Khandaker Mahbub Uddin Ahmed appeared for Khaleda and Tarique.