Govt to decide Khaleda’s sentence suspension
He said that Begum Zia's family had applied for relaxation of bail as well as commutation of her sentence
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the decision on further extension of the government order suspending BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's prison sentence would be taken after a discussion with the law ministry.
At a press conference on Wednesday, he said Khaleda's family had appealed to the home ministry for an extension of the order. Her family members also requested for permission so that she could go abroad for advanced treatment, the minister said.
Senior Information Officer of the home ministry, Sharif Mahmud Apu told the media that Khaleda's younger brother Shamim Iskander met the minister on Tuesday afternoon and handed over the application.
The former premier was released from jail on 25 March after the government had suspended her jail sentence for six months, with the condition that she would not leave the country. Later, the time was extended for another six months.
Khaleda walked out of jail at a time when the novel coronavirus arrived in the country and started spreading. Amid the pandemic, she did not visit any hospital for treatment. However, doctors visited her at home regularly and prescribed treatment.
Khaleda landed in jail on 8 February, 2017 after being sentenced to five years in prison by a special court in Dhaka in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. On 30 October the following year, the High Court increased her punishment to 10 years, dismissing her appeal in the case.