Khaleda denied bail in Cumilla case

A Cumilla court on Thursday denied bail to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia in a case filed over the torching of a covered van in Cumilla's Chouddagram upazila in 2015, reports UNB.

Judge of the District and Session's Judge Court KM Shamsul Alam passed the order after hearing a bail petition moved by BNP chief's lawyers.

Earlier on Wednesday, the court deferred the bail hearing until Thursday.

The court heard both the defence and prosecution in the morning and passed the order in the afternoon.

On 25 January, 2015, a covered van was set on fire at Haiderpool of Chouddagram municipality on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

The following day, sub-inspector Nuruzzaman of Chouddagram police station filed a case against the BNP chairperson and 31 other leaders and activists of the party over the incident.

The BNP chairperson is now at Nazimuddin Road central jail, serving five years' rigorous imprisonment as she was convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on 8 February this year.