The HC bench of Justice Muhammad Abdul Hafiz and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order after hearing separate petitions.
Senior lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Zainul Abedin and AKM Ehsanur Rahman stood for the BNP chief while Deputy Attorney General Fazlur Rahman Khan represented the state.
One of the cases was filed in 2014 for ‘hurting religious’ sentiments while another in 2016 for making derogatory remarks on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. AB Siddique, president of Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami League organisation, filed the cases against the BNP chief with Shahbagh Police Station.
On June 30 last year, police submitted the final reports against Khaleda in both the cases while the lower court issued a warrant for her arrest taking the reports into its cognizance.
Later, Khaleda’s lawyers appealed for her bail to the High Court in the two cases.
Talking to reporters Moudud said, though both the cases were bailable, the lower court did not grant bail to Khaleda. “So, we had to move the High Court and it has granted her six-month bail in each of the cases.”
Moudud said they have already sought bail for Khaleda in Zia Charitable Trust graft case from the High Court. “The case documents in the case will reach the High Court by 12 more days, and we hope the hearing on the bail in the case will begin then.”
Khaleda still needs to get bail in two more cases--Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases--to walk out of jail, one of her counsels Kayser Kamal told UNB.
With the fresh two ones, he said the BNP chief has so far been granted bail in 34 cases out of 36 ones. “We hope, she’ll also get bail in the rest two cases very soon.”
Kayser said they filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on March 14 last.
In the petition, he said they also sought bail for Khaleda and a stay order on the effectiveness of her punishment.
Khaleda has been in jail since a lower court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8, 2018.
She was later also convicted in Zia Charitable Trust graft case by a special court while the High Court doubled her jail term Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.