Bangladesh Supreme Court upholds bail for opposition leader

Trial Coverage

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a High Court’s decision to grant bail to opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who was jailed for five years on a corruption conviction.

Lawyers from both sides said the ruling does not necessarily mean Zia will be released from jail because she’s been arrested in connection with three other cases.

The government had appealed a March verdict by the High Court granting her bail for four months.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court also ordered authorities to make a final decision by July 31 involving a separate appeal by Zia seeking her release from jail.

Zia has been in jail for more than three months in the graft case for misusing power and embezzling about $250,000 involving a trust fund named after her late husband, former President Ziaur Rahman. The conviction means that Zia, the archrival of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, can be barred from running in December elections.

Zia’s party says the February verdict was politically motivated, a charge the government has denied. Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party has threatened to boycott the next elections, saying they will not join the polls without Zia.

In February, a trial court convicted Zia and also sentenced her son, Tarique Rahman, and four others to 10 years in prison for involvement in the case. Rahman lives in London and was tried in absentia.

Bangladesh law says anyone imprisoned for more than two years cannot run for office for the next five years, but Law Minister Anisul Huq had said the final decision rests with the higher courts.

Bangladesh politics are deeply fractious, with rivals Hasina and Zia ruling the country alternately since 1991, when democracy was restored.

Both women came from political dynasties. Zia is the widow of Ziaur Rahman, a general-turned-president who was assassinated in 1981. Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s independence leader and first president, who was assassinated in 1975 along with most of his family members.

Related listings

  • Doctor charged in wife's death moved after threat to him

    Doctor charged in wife's death moved after threat to him

    Trial Coverage 01/12/2018

    A New Jersey doctor accused of having his wife killed to protect an illegal prescription drug ring he was running with an outlaw biker gang has been moved to a different jail nearly 100 miles away due to an alleged plot by a co-defendant to kill him....

  • Kansas faces skeptical state Supreme Court on school funding

    Kansas faces skeptical state Supreme Court on school funding

    Trial Coverage 07/17/2017

    Attorneys for Kansas will try to convince an often skeptical state Supreme Court on Tuesday that the funding increase legislators approved for public schools this year is enough to provide a suitable education for kids statewide. The high court is he...

  • Brother of victim in unsolved Ohio massacre appears in court

    Brother of victim in unsolved Ohio massacre appears in court

    Trial Coverage 05/19/2017

    The brother of one of eight victims of an unsolved southern Ohio massacre has appeared in court for a hearing on evidence-tampering and vandalism charges over allegations he destroyed a GPS tracking device. Forty-year-old James Manley, of Peebles, ap...

Lawyer Website Design For Sole Practitioners - Law Promo

Law Promo understands that running a solo law practice can be a difficult undertaking at any stage, especially if you are just starting up your practice.

The most challenging part of running any solo business can be managing each and every aspect, especially those areas in which you have less experience. Marketing is often one of the weakest areas for small businesses and yet is the most important in ensuring business growth.

A solid internet marketing campaign is crucial, as it can level the playing field between you and larger firms and is by far the most cost effective way to attract more clients.

Business News

Cook County IL Trucking Lawyers We are one of Cook County's leading Workers’ Compensation firms. Illinois workers’ compensation, transportation lawyers. >> read
Santa Ana, CA Workers' Compensation Lawyers We are one of Orange County’s leading Workers’ Compensation firms. >> read