Wont be vengeful towards Hasina, reiterates Khaleda
STAFF REPORTER
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday iterated that she has forgiven Sheikh Hasina, despite the latters vengeful behaviour towards her, and promised she will not be vengeful towards Hasina. I have already made it clear that despite Sheikh Hasinas continuous indecent remarks and vengeful behaviour towards me and other members of my family, including Ziaur Rahman, I personally forgive her. I will not behave vengefully towards her, she said in her unfinished statement in self-defence in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases for the fourth day.
The court, comprising special Judge Dr Akhteruzzaman, rejected Khaleda Zias appeal for permanent bail and fixed November 16 for the next hearing.
The former premier will be on bail till the next hearing, said the special court set up at the Alia Madrasa grounds in the city. During her one-and-halfhour-long statement, Khaleda urged the court to ensure justice in accordance with the law with courage and honesty. She requested the court to stay free of government influence.
A verdict will be given against us in line with the willingness of the ruling quarters. But I want to believe that you (judge) will ensure justice for us in accordance with the law, imbued with courage and honesty, and by keeping free from the influence of the ruling quarters, she told the court.
She said though it was claimed that the countrys judiciary was totally independent, recent examples frequently question the claim.
The credibility of the claim would also be clear to some extent in the present case. It would be proved whether judges could conduct the trials freely, conscientiously and in accordance with the law, she said.
Earlier, after the appearance of Khaleda before the court at about 11:38am, her counsel, Moudud Ahmed, urged the court to review their appeal for permanent bail for the former premier.
I am serving in this (law) profession for about 50 years, but I never heard that one should take bail and appear before the court on a weekly basis, he argued.
Moudud mentioned that Khaleda was given bail on a weekly basis, but, as an elderly woman, she deserved to be granted permanent bail.
Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, the lawyer of the Anti Corruption Commission, opposed Khaledas permanent bail application, saying that both the cases were non-bailable and that they had objections to giving her permanent bail.
After the days hearing, the court rejected the appeal for permanent bail for Khaleda and granted bail for her till November 16.
Referring to different examples of trials against veteran politicians, Khaleda said even the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, an influential architect of national history, was sentenced in a corruption case. Besides, national leaders like Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Oli Ahmad were also sentenced.
Have people of the world accepted those trials as examples of justice? Have the trials been sustainable in history? she posed questions.
The former premier referred to different anomalies, corruption and the laundering of crores of taka during the last 10 years, when the BNP has been out of the power, and claimed that the ACC did not file any case against such scandals.
There is no sector where there is no corruption and plundering of money. But a campaign is being carried out and cases are being filed against us.... She said.
Referring to the last caretaker governments tenure, Khelda told the court that she did not compromise with the interim administration. She alleged that the Awami League won office by secretly joining hands with the interim government. We accepted the result for the sake of the Constitution and democracy and had spoken about assisting the government, she said.
Khaleda steadily read out her statement as the judge wrote it down for record. At one stage, the judge changed his pen and gave a four-minute break for Ajan, the prayer call.
Later, Barrister Moudud Ahmed told reporters that he never heard of bail being given on a weekly basis. We urged the court to review its order in this regard and provide Khaleda permanent bail, but the court did not grant our appeal, he said.
He termed Khaledas long statement a political and analytical one, saying it was being given for record. Her statement will continue. ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal said Khaleda had so far made a 92-page statement, which he described as a political and family affair. Khaleda left the court at about 1:40pm.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday rejected the leave to appeal filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, seeking fresh recording of deposition of 11 witnesses in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
A five-member bench, led by acting Chief Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah, passed the order. Earlier, on Monday, the SC concluded the hearing and set Thursday for delivering verdict.
The ACC filed a case against four persons, including Khaleda Zia, with Tejgaon police station on August 8, 2010, for illegal transaction of Tk. 1.15 crore in the name of the Zia Charitable Trust.
The ACC filed another case against six persons, including Khaleda and her son Tarique Rahman, with Ramna police station on July 3, 2008, for allegedly misappropriating Tk. 2.10 crore.
