Court extends former Bangladesh PM son’s parole

DHAKA - The Dhaka High Court has extended the parole of Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s son, who is wanted in a number of corruption cases and is in Bangkok for medical treatment.

The high court Thursday extended till Oct 4 the parole for Arafat Rahman Koko, wanted in a number of graft cases here.

Refusing to extend his parole, the Sheikh Hasina government had asked Koko to ’surrender’ before a court by Aug 31.

The parole for Koko came amid street protests by activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) that is led by Zia.

The bench of Justices Mohammed Wahhab Miah and Quazi Reza-ul Hoque also asked the government to explain why the home ministry’s decision rejecting Arafat’s plea for extending his parole should not be declared illegal, New Age newspaper reported.

The court asked Koko to follow the parole conditions, including reporting on his treatment, to the Bangladeshi Mission in Thailand once every three days.

The court passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Koko challenging the legality of the home ministry’s decision.

Koko’s counsel Moudud Ahmed told the court that the government had so far extended Arafat’s parole 20 times.

“His condition is so critical that the doctors are giving him more than 50 injections a day. The parole is necessary to save his life. Arafat is so ill that he could not walk without help,” Moudud Ahmed said.

Koko, as also his jailed elder politician brother Tarique Rahman, left the country on health reasons as part of an understanding with the caretaker government in 2008.

Media reports here have quoted high ruling Awami League officials as saying that the government would not allow the brothers to become `heroes’ and would seek cancellation of their paroles.