Khaleda Zia’s jail term suspension extended by another 6 months

Khaleda Zia

The government has extended the conditional suspension of imprisonment of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for another six months, reports news agency BSS.

The Security Service Division of the Home Ministry issued a notification in this regard recently, saying that the conditional suspension of Khaleda Zia's jail sentence will come into effect from 25 September in 2023.

The government has so far suspended Khaleda Zia's prison sentence for the eighth time as the term of the previous seventh extension will expire on 24 September.

According to the notification, imprisoned Khaleda Zia will receive treatment staying at her own residence in Dhaka and she will not be able to travel abroad during her temporary release period.

On 25 March, 2020, the then 76-year-old BNP chief was released from jail for six months upon an executive order of the government considering her age and humanitarian ground, following an application by her family members.

Earlier, On 29 October, 2018, Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 sentenced the BNP chairperson and three others to seven-year imprisonment each in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The court also fined them Taka 1 million each, in default, they have to serve six more months in jail.