Govt extends Khaleda Zia’s jail term suspension by 6 months again

The government has once again extended the suspension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence for another six months.

The security services division under the Home Ministry has issued a notification in this regard on Monday.

The conditional suspension of Khaleda Zia’s jail sentenced will come into effect from September 25.

Earlier on September 18, the Law Ministry has given its opinion in favour of extending jail sentence suspension period of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia by another six months, Law Minister Anisul Huq told UNB.

Khaleda Zia will take treatment from her Dhaka residence and she will not be allowed to go abroad during this period, he said.

Recently Khaleda’s family filed a petition before the Home Ministry seeking her unconditional release. They also sought permission from the Home Minister to allow Khaleda go abroad for her treatment.

Amid the Coronavirus outbreak, the government suspended Khaleda’s jail sentence for six months through an executive order on March 25, 2020.

The government extended her conditional release in the two corruption cases several times.

The former prime minister was sent to Old Dhaka Central Jail after she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by a special court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.

She was convicted in a second corruption case later.

The 76-year-old BNP chief has been staying at her Gulshan residence since her release from jail. A special team of her personal physicians has been overseeing her treatment, reports UNB.