Govt extends suspension of Khaleda’s jail term

PBC News:  The government has extended the conditional suspension of imprisonment of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for another six months.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday issued a notification in this regard, saying that the conditional suspension of Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence will come into effect from September 25, 2022.

“The government has extended the suspension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence for six more months,” Public Relations Officer of the ministry Sharif Mahmud Apu said.

With this, the government has so far suspended Khaleda Zia’s prison sentence six times, while the current term will end on September 24, 2022.

According to the notification, imprisoned Khaleda Zia will receive treatment staying at her own residence in Dhaka and she will not be able to travel abroad during her temporary release period.

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 Taka 10 lakh each, in default, they have to suffer six months more in jail.