Khaleda’s jail sentence suspension extended by six more months

The government on Sunday decided to extend the conditional suspension of imprisonment of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for another six months.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told the reporters at his ministry office and said a gazette notification will also be issued soon to this regard, reports BSS.

Kamal said Khaleda Zia will receive treatment staying at her own residence in Dhaka and will not be allowed to travel abroad during the jail suspension period.

The decision was taken as per the section 401 (1) of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Earlier, on March 25, 2020, the then 76-year-old BNP chief was released from jail for six months upon an executive order of the government considering her age and humanitarian ground, following an application by her family members.

On October 29, 2018, Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 sentenced BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and three others to seven-year imprisonment each in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The court also fined them Tk 10 lakh each, in default, they have to suffer more six months in jail.

Earlier, the law ministry nodded to extend the jail sentence suspension period of the BNP chief.

“The security services division under the Home Ministry will issue a gazette notification in this regard,” Law Minister Anisul Huq told UNB.

Khaleda Zia will take treatment from home and she will not be allowed to go abroad during this period, he said.

Recently Khaleda’s family filed a petition before the Home Ministry seeking her unconditional release. They also sought permission from the Home Minister to allow Khaleda go abroad for her treatment.

Amid the Coronavirus outbreak, the government suspended Khaleda’s jail sentence for six months through an executive order on March 25, 2020.

The government extended her conditional release in the two corruption cases several times.

The former prime minister was sent to Old Dhaka Central Jail after she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by a special court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. She was convicted in a second corruption case later.

The 76-year-old BNP chief has been staying at her Gulshan residence since her release from jail. A special team of her personal physicians has been overseeing her treatment.