The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Lawyers of detained former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday submitted bail petitions to the Vacation Bench of the High Court seeking her bail in Niko and GATCO corruption cases.

Khaleda's lawyer Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq submitted the petitions to the HC Bench comprising Justice Mirza Hossain Haider and Justice Mamnun Rahman. Lawyers said the High Court would hear both the petitions for bail for Begum Zia in GATCO and Niko cases tomorrow.

The BNP Chairperson, who has been implicated in four corruption cases, has already secured bail in two cases-Zia Orphanage Trust and Barapukuria Coalmine.

According to lawyers, the release of Begum Zia depends on securing bail in the two remaining cases.

If she is grated bail in GATCO and Niko cases, there will be no barrier to her release from detention, a lawyer observed.

The GATCO case was filed on September 2 last year and the Niko case on May 5.

Talking to reporters, Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq said appeals have been submitted to the High Court for the bail of Begum Zia.

"Both the petitions will come up for hearing on Tuesday as Number one agenda," he said.

The lawyer said the High Court on July 14 stayed the proceedings of the case. "Other accused have already got bail," he noted.

Another lawyer Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokan said the bail appeal in Niko graft case was launched earlier.

He said the hearing on the petition would also take place in the same bench tomorrow.

Earlier, Khaleda's another lawyer Nasiruddin Ahmed Ashim told reporters that they hoped that Begum Zia would get bails in the two cases since the other accused persons in the cases have been granted bail.

The charge sheet of GATCO case accused persons by misusing power gave work of operating Chittagong Port and Kamalapur Container Depot to Global Agro Trade Company (GATCO) while the Niko case alleged that the agreement with the Canadian company on exploration of oil and gas made the state count about Tk 13,777 crore in losses.

Begum Zia and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko were arrested on September 3 last year. Koko is now undergoing treatment in Thailand on parole.

It has already been reported that the BNP Chairperson refused to be released on parole or on the basis of executive order, rather she wanted freedom through legal process.

Adviser for Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman on Thursday told reporters that the former prime minister would get released if she gets bail in the two cases.

He also said the government would not oppose her bail petitions.