Govt approves extension to Khaleda’s jail term suspension

The government has approved the extension to BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s jail term suspension by another six months.

A gazette notification will be issued in this regard on Monday. 

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said this at his office in Secretariat on Sunday. 

He said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the extension today. The previous conditions of Khaleda’s jail term suspension will be applicable this time too. A gazette notification will be issued tomorrow. 

With this, the government has so far suspended Khaleda Zia’s prison sentence for the sixth time.

Earlier, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said Khaleda Zia will receive treatment staying at her own residence in Dhaka and not be able to travel abroad during her temporary release period.

On September 11, Khaleda’s brother Shamim Iskander submitted an application to the Home Minister requesting the government to continue the suspension of her jail sentence. 

Khaleda’s conditional release from jail suspending her sentences in two corruption cases was extended by another six months on March 23 which will end on September 26.

Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.

She was convicted in two graft cases and was taken to jail four years ago. In April 2020, at the beginning of Covid pandemic, the government granted a request from her family for a conditional temporary release from jail for “humanitarian reasons”.