Dhaka:Former Bangladesh premier Khaleda Zia was today granted bail on corruption charges as part of an apparent deal between the government and her party, paving the way for her release after over a year in custody.

Sixtythree-year-old Zia, the chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was given a three-month bail in two corruption cases by a High Court bench comprising Justices Mirza Haider Hossain and Mamnun Rahman.

The two-time prime minister, detained on September three last year as part of the military-backed government s crackdown on corruption, was lodged in a special makeshift prison inside the Parliament complex here.

The bail to Zia, which comes ahead of the December general elections aimed at restoring democracy, is apparently part of a deal between the government and BNP allowing the party to take part in the polls.

"This removes the last barrier to her release from detention," her lawyer Rafiqul Islam Miah was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com. Zia has already secured bail in two other corruption cases against her.

Bangladesh Additional Attorney General Monsur Habib later told reporters that the government would appeal against the bail orders in the two cases.

"We have already appealed to the Appellate Division for a stay on the bails in two other graft cases. The hearing will be held on September 15," he said.

Zia's chief counsel Rafiq-ul-Huq said as all other accused in the case had got bail, there was no reason to keep the BNP chief anymore in detention.
Source : PTI