Political Desk: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson, Khaleda Zia, has been granted an extension of her release from imprisonment, subject to the same previous conditions, for an additional six months.
This extension of her release was recently announced through a press release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, following an earlier decision made on September 10th, to extend Khaleda Zia’s release by six months, as well as her detention conditions.
According to the press release, Khaleda Zia will continue her medical treatment at her residence in Dhaka, and during this period, she will not be allowed to travel abroad, maintaining the two previously imposed conditions to secure her release.
This marks the eighth time that Khaleda Zia’s release has been extended. Her current sentence, which was initially imposed on February 8, 2018, by a special court in Bakshibazar Madrasa Grounds in Old Dhaka, has been stayed until September 24th.
Before any extension of her release, her family had applied to the Ministry of Home Affairs for permission for Khaleda Zia to seek medical treatment and advanced healthcare abroad, given her various health issues, including arthritis, diabetes, kidney, liver, respiratory, and eye problems. Due to her deteriorating health, she is intermittently admitted to the hospital.
Khaleda Zia is currently under medical care at Evercare Hospital in the capital.
In two separate cases, Khaleda Zia was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment. She was incarcerated at the old central jail on Nazimuddin Road in Dhaka following the verdict. Later, on October 30th of the same year, her sentence was extended to 10 years by the High Court in the same case.
In a different case related to the Zia Charitable Trust corruption charges, Khaleda Zia was sentenced to seven years in prison on October 29th of the same year. In this verdict, she was also fined 1 million Bangladeshi Taka. In addition to the seven-year sentence, she was given an additional six months in jail for non-payment of the fine.
In March 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Khaleda Zia was granted a six-month release with conditions by the government, following a family appeal. Later, the release was extended eight times, each for a period of six months.