Law ministry agrees to allow Khaleda to spend another six months out of jail

The law ministry has agreed to stay BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's prison sentence and allow her to spend another six months out of jail.

 “I made a recommendation to extend the suspension of her sentence at the request of her family. But I did not say anything about letting her fly abroad. The relevant file has been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Law Minister Anisul Huq said,.

As per the rules, the file will be forwarded from the home ministry to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for final approval, said Huq. Afterwards, the ministry would issue a notification, reports bdnews24.com.

The suspension of Khaleda Zia's prison sentence has been extended twice so far. It was last extended in March and the extension is due to expire on Sept 15.

The government suspended Khaleda’s imprisonment order in March 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic under the condition that the former prime minister underwent treatment in Bangladesh and did not leave the country. The BNP chief has been living at her Gulshan residence since.

She had served 25 months out of a 17-year prison sentence in two graft cases involving the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust.