Dhaka court on Wednesday rejected a bail petition filed by Bidisha Siddiq, who was sentenced to two years in prison in a fraud case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Shahjahan Kabir passed the order after hearing the bail petition, her lawyer Mohammad Atikur Rahman confirmed.

Bidisha is the former wife of late former president and founder-chairman of the Jatiya Party (JP), HM Ershad.

She was sentenced to two years’ rigorous imprisonment in a fraud case filed with Gulshan Police Station in the capital. She was arrested on Aug 25 following a warrant for her arrest and was sent to jail by a court the following day.

Her lawyer Atikur Rahman said the court rejected the bail petition on the grounds that Bidisha had not spent sufficient time in custody.

Lawyer Hemayet Uddin Khan, representing the complainant, told Prothom Alo that they opposed the bail petition on the same grounds.

On May 20, a court sentenced Bidisha to two years’ rigorous imprisonment in a case filed over an allegation of fraud involving the sale of a flat.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jamsed Alam handed down the verdict, also fining her Tk 10,000, with one month’s additional imprisonment in default of payment.

As Bidisha was absent from the court when the verdict was delivered, the court issued an arrest warrant against her.

Businessman Mosharraf Hossain filed the case on Feb 7, 2008. Police submitted the charge-sheet before the court on June 22 that year, following which the trial began after charges were framed.