The High Court yesterday granted regular bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The bail will remain in force until the trial court disposes of the case, proceedings of which have been stayed since October 16, 2008.
The lower court will consider granting her bail if she surrenders before it, the HC said.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain issued the bail order after hearing on a rule it had issued earlier.
On August 28, 2008, it granted ad interim bail to Khaleda for four months, and issued the rule asking the government and the ACC to explain why she should not be granted regular bail.
The bench had later extended the ad interim bail six times.
On February 26, 2008, ACC Assistant Director Shamsul Alam filed the case against Khaleda and 15 others, including ten former ministers, for causing a loss of over Tk 158.71 crore to the public exchequer by awarding a contract on Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company.
Mahbubuddin Khokon appeared for the BNP chairperson, while Deputy Attorney General Gazi Mamunur Rashid represented the state.