The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The High Court yesterday granted there months bail to detained former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in GATCO and Niko graft cases for three months in each.

The Vacation Bench of the High Court Division comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mamnoon Rahman passed the duo-bail orders, after hearing the bail petitions.

With these Begum Zia has secured bail in all the four cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Now, no obstacle is there in the way of her release through legal process.

Emerging from the court, Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, the prime Counsel for Begum Zia, told reporters that all legal bars are now removed from the path of his client's release from her one-year imprisonment.

He said the court was pleased to grant her bail as the other accused persons in both the cases had obtained bail earlier.

Begum Zia is going to be released through legal means and not on the mercy of any quarter, he said.

Barrister Huq, who is also the prime Counsel of another former prime minister and Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina, expressed his hope that both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina would work for the greater interest of the country and its people shunning the path of conflict and Nutual accusation.

He also proposed Begum Zia and Sheikh Hasina to sit together at his residence, if necessary, to discuss pertinent issues.

"Come to your sense; enough is enough," he said apprehending that another 1/11 may come if the BNP and Awami League do not shun the politics of conflict and violence.

According to Khaleda Zia's lawyers, Begum Zia might be released later today (Wednesday) after completion of legal process including signing in bail bonds in the lower courts and reaching those to the jail authorities.

The lawyers expressed their happiness over granting bail to Begum Zia in all cases. They said Begum Zia is going to be released through legal process not on parole or through any entente.

"We are happy as she got bail in the last two cases. Now, the release of Khaleda Zia is a matter of time as she has already obtained bail in all cases," said former BNP lawmaker Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Uddin Ahmed.

Leaders of BNP-led four-party alliance at a meeting yesterday demanded immediate release of Begum Zia and urged upon the government not to create any obstacle in the way of her getting bail.

Begum Zia, who was arrested on September 3 last year, had earlier secured four-month interim bail in two other graft cases involving Zia Orphanage Trust Fund embezzlement and Barapukuria Coalmine contract.

Meanwhile, Additional Attorney-General Mansur Habib told reporters that they would appeal in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking stay order against the bail.

He further said that the Government has already submitted appeal to the Supreme Court seeking stay order against the bail in Zia Orphanage Trust fund embezzlement and Barapukuria Coalmine contract cases.

The GATCO and Niko cases, pending in the special courts that deal with high-profile corruption

cases, have already been stalled since July following High Court orders given on quashment petitions filed by her.

The ACC filed the Niko graft case with Tejgaon Police Station against Begum Zia and others on December 9 last year for allegedly causing huge losses to the national exchequer through signing deals with the Canadian oil company.

According to the charge sheet, Khaleda and 10 other accused persons, in collaboration with one another, struck an "anti-state" joint-venture agreement with Niko, causing a loss of Tk 13,777 crore to the exchequer.

The ACC filed the GATCO case on September 2, last year against Khaleda and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, her cabinet colleagues M Saifur Rahman, Mannan Bhuiyan, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain of BNP and Jamaat Ameer Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami.

The ACC charged the top brass of the past government with causing a loss of over Tk 14 crore to the public exchequer by striking the container-handling deal with Gatco, a greenhorn company, violating the tender conditions.

On July 3, the anti-graft agency filed a case with Ramna Police Station against Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and five others on charges of embezzling over Tk 2.10 crore by forming an eyewash establishment named Zia Orphanage Trust.

The ACC filed the Barapukuria Coalmine case with Shahbagh Police Station against the ex-PM and 15 others, including her 10 ex-cabinet colleagues on February 26.

Begum Zia and others have been accused in the case of causing a loss of Tk 158 .71 crore to the State by awarding a Chinese company the production, management and maintenance contract for the coalmine through "abuse of power".

Along with her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, Begum Zia was arrested on September 3 last year amid a crackdown on the political arena after 1/11 changeover. Her elder son, Tarique Rahman, was held earlier on March 7.

Both of her sons have already been freed on bail and granted parole for overseas treatment.