Khaleda's sole option is to seek presidential pardon: Anisul

Regarding Khaleda Zia’s permanent bail for treatment abroad, Law Minister Anisul Huq said any convicted accused can seek pardon from the president and it is his or her constitutional right. 

However, there is no scope to reconsider the executive order that the Prime Minister has given BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia under the Criminal Procedure Code.

He made the comments while briefing media at his office in the Secretariat on Wednesday.

Anisul Huq said Khaleda Zia has no option other than seeking presidential pardon confessing to her crime.

He narrated that Khaleda's jail sentence was suspended in March 2020 on two conditions. One is she is not allowed to get treatment abroad while another is she can take medical treatment within the country.

The decision to suspend her sentence was made under section 401(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), Anisul said. And for this, there is no scope to reconsider it under the law, he added.

He mentioned that Khaleda Zia had been out of jail for six months and that the release order had been extended eight times since.

In connection with the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, BNP chair Khaleda Zia has been incarcerated since February 8, 2018.

Khaleda Zia was convicted on October 27, 2019, by a special court, and received a seven-year sentence in the corruption case involving the Zia Charitable Trust.

/MHK/