The government has extended the suspension of the prison term of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for six more months in two corruption cases, following a plea of her family citing her health conditions.
However, she won’t be allowed to leave the country during this period.
On March 2, Khaleda Zia’s younger brother Shamim Iskander, on behalf of her, submitted an application to the Home Ministry seeking an extension to the suspension of her jail term.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has approved the proposal of letting Khaleda Zia stay out of jail by suspending her sentence for another six months,” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the media on Monday.
The Home Ministry will issue a notification in this regard later in the day.
On March 8, the Ministry of Law recommended the extension of the stay on the sentences of Khaleda Zia for another six months in the graft cases.
Earlier, an application seeking a waiver of Khaleda Zia’s punishment and extension the stay on her sentences was sent to the Law Ministry.
“We’ve recommended extension of the stay on the sentences for six months and the BNP chairperson will now be allowed to avail of specialised treatment anywhere in the country,” Law Minister Anisul Huq said.
He said: “The recommendation for the extension was made as per the previous two conditions that Khaleda Zia will have to receive treatment from home and she cannot go abroad for that.”
Khaleda Zia was released from jail on March 25, 2020, after the government suspended her jail sentence for six months.
Later, her bail period was extended for another six months.
Khaleda Zia was sent to jail on February 8, 2017, after being sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment by a special court in Dhaka in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
On October 30 in the same year, the High Court enhanced her punishment to 10 years after rejecting her appeal in the case.
