Dhaka: The Appellate Division on Monday upheld a High Court order that had asked the lower court to dispose BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail pleas speedily in connection with two defamation cases.

Earlier on May 31, the High Court had ordered the Dhaka trial court to speedily hear and dispose of two bail petitions filed by the BNP chairperson in the defamation cases.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam along with Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin filed two separate leave-to-appeal petitions with the SC challenging the HC order in the morning, said Khaleda’s lawyer Masud Rana.

After a hearing the leave-to-appeal petitions, the Chamber Judge upheld the HC order and send the leave-to-appeal petitions to the full bench of the apex court for their hearing on June 25, he said.

The bail petitions were filed on May 22.

One of the cases was a defamation suit filed by Bangladesh Jananetri Parisad President AB Siddik on November 3, 2016 against Khaleda Zia for distorting history of the Liberation War, and demeaning the national flag and map.

The other was filed by journalist Gazi Jahirul Islam on August 30, 2016 accusing Khaleda of observing birthday on August 15 on false information.