The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the High Court orders that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in two separate defamation cases filed in Dhaka and Narail.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain dismissed two separate petitions filed by the government seeking stay on the HC bail orders.

However, Khaleda cannot walk out of jail now as she has been shown arrested in a few other cases.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for the government, while AJ Mohammad Ali represented Khaleda. 

On December 21, 2015, Khaleda at a discussion at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh raised questions

about the number of Liberation War martyrs. She said, “There are controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War.”

Raihan Farooque Imam of Naragati in Narail filed a defamation case against her on December 24 in connection with the remark.

On January 5, 2016, AB Siddiqui, president of Jananetri Parishad, filed another defamation case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court against the BNP chief.

Following two separate bail petitions filed by Khaleda, the HC in August this year granted her bail in the cases.

The government later filed two separate petitions with the SC seeking stay on the HC orders.

Khaleda has been behind bars after being convicted by a Dhaka court on February 8 this year in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. 44111214545