Senior advocate and Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Zainul Abedin has said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia wants bail, not parole.

He told this to reporters in a media call at the Supreme Court Bar premises on Thursday (Oct 3).

"The BNP chairperson never wanted parole at the government's mercy," he said.

"She wanted bail and it is her right and she deserves it."

Zainul said 37 cases were filed against Khaleda Zia for political reasons. If she gets bail from the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case and Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, then she could come out of jail, he said.

"She is innocent," the advocated claimed. "The government put her in jail to detach her from people."

Replying to a query, Zainul said: “Whenever we applied for her bail, the state strongly opposed against it. Now we are requesting the attorney general not to oppose her (Khaleda’s) bail petition in the future.”

They will file a bail petition for the BNP chairperson soon, the lawyer said.

Advocate Rafiqul Islam Talukder Raja, Kamrul Islam Sajal and Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman were present at the press conference, among others.

For the last couple of days, senior BNP leaders and its lawmakers have been urging the government to allow the BNP chairperson to go abroad for treatment, on bail. The BNP lawmakers also met with Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and asked him to inform Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the matter.

On Wednesday, Quader told journalists that he has already informed the prime minister about it.