SC upholds Khaleda’s bail in Cumilla arson case

The Supreme Court on Sunday upheld a High Court order that had granted a six months ad-interim bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a case filed under the Special Powers Act over the arson attack in Cumilla in 2015.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed ‘‘no order’’ on a government petition seeking stay on the High Court order.

On May 28, the High Court granted bail to the BNP chief for six months in two cases filed in Comilla.

Later, the government filed a petition with the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the bail order.

Eight people were killed and 20 others injured when unknown assailants hurled a petrol bomb at a bus at Jogmohanpur in Chouddagram of Comilla district during the BNP-led alliance's movement on February 3, 2015.

Two cases were filed against Khaleda in connection to this incident.

On February 8, Khaleda was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.