B'desh SC rejects BNP chief Khaleda Zia's bail petition

Dhaka: Bangladesh Supreme Court on Thursday rejected BNP chief Khaleda Zia's bail petition in a corruption case, delaying the release of ailing former prime minister from the jail.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud rejected 74-year-old Zia's appeal against a High Court order that turned down her bail plea in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

The court also ordered the authorities to swiftly take measures to ensure that Zia gets 'advanced treatment' in line with the recommendations of her medical board at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, it said.

Zia, a three-time former prime minister, is lodged in a 200-year-old prison in Dhaka since February last year, serving a total of 17 years jail term in two graft cases.

Her health has massively deteriorated over the months.

Her release would have been ensured if she was granted bail in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case as she has already secured bail in the other cases against her, according to her legal counsels.