Govt going to extend moratorium on Khaleda’s sentence

The government is likely to extend suspending sentence of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for another six months.

Now hospitalised due to critical illness, Khaleda has stayed out of jail since long following suspension of sentence in Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

In recent development, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has recommended extending the suspension and sent the file to the Ministry of Home Affairs for final decision.

Talking to journalists on Sunday, law minister Anisul Huq said the ministry recommended extension on two existing conditions for Khaleda Zia to receive treatment in the country barring her foreign trip.

As the tenure of the seventh extension will expire on September 24, relatives of BNP chief applied to the home ministry seeking further extension. The application was sent to the law ministry for opinion. Now, the home ministry will be able to issue a gazette in this regard.

During outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, on March 25, 2020, Khaleda Zia was first enraged on the government’s decision made in exercise of Section 401 (1) of the Criminal Code of Procedure (CrPC).

A Dhaka court, on February 8, 2018, sentenced Khaleda to imprisonment for 5 years in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.  Later, on October 30, the High Court hiked her sentence to 10 years upon an appeal filed by the government.

Khaleda Zia, on October 29, 2018, was awarded seven years of jail in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.