Khaleda Zia gets bail in two cases

A Bangladesh court on Tuesday granted bail to former Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia in connection with the cases filed over undermining the national flag and observing a fake birthday on August 15.

Judge K.M. Imrul Kayes of the Metropolitan Sessions Judges Court of Dhaka passed the order saying that all sections pertaining to the cases were bailable, the Daily Star reported.

Earlier on July 11, Khaleda's lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder submitted two separate petitions seeking bail in the cases against the rejection order of the lower courts.

One of the cases was filed by A.B. Siddique, president of the Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami League organisation, with a Dhaka court on November 3, 2016, accusing Khaleda and her late husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, of "undermining" the country's map and national flag.

The court dropped Ziaur Rahman's name from the charges as he died earlier.

The second case was filed by Gazi Zahirul Islam, former joint general secretary of the Dhaka Union of Journalists, with another Dhaka court on August 30, 2016, accusing Khaleda of celebrating her "fake birthday" on August 15 every year.

--IANS

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