Bangladesh opposition leader gets interim bail

By Mutasim Billah

DHAKA, Bangladesh

High court in Bangladesh granted Monday four months of interim bail to opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who was convicted in a graft case in February.

Local media said the court ruled in favor of a petition filed by Zia's lawyers on the grounds of her age and health condition.

A Dhaka court sentenced the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader on Feb. 8 to five years in prison for embezzling around $250,000 of foreign funds meant for a charity created by Zia in 1991.

“Now, there’s no legal bar to Khaleda Zia’s release following the HC order and we hope the documents related to the case order will reach the jail on Tuesday,” Zia's lawyer Kaisar Kamal said.

In response, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said he would challenge the court order.

"Already, we have started our work in this regard,” he said.