Khaleda has no faith in local lawyers, say AL leaders

Leaders of the ruling Awami League (AL) believe that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia does not have any faith in her local lawyers currently fighting her cases. “BNP chief Khaleda Zia doesn’t have any faith in her local lawyers and that’s why she has appointed a foreign lawyer to fight for her release,” said AL presidium member Mohammad Nasim while talking to this correspondent yesterday. BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday announced that his party chief Khaleda Zia has appointed a British lawyer to assist her local lawyers in fighting her cases.

Speaking to The Independent, food minister Advocate Quamrul Islam criticised the BNP’s move, saying the lawyer appointed by Khaleda had maintained lobbyists for war criminals during the war crimes trial in Bangladesh. He said BNP had proved its complicity with war criminals by appointing British lawyer Lord Carlile. “So we will have to understand what the BNP believes in and what ideology the party practises,” he added.

Speaking on the issue, AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said he saw no legal bar to taking legal assistance from a foreign lawyer for a convict.

“She (Khaleda) is a convicted prisoner. She can take legal assistance for her bail. I am not aware of any bar to taking legal assistance from abroad,” he said.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia landed in prison on February 8 after she was handed a five-year jail sentence by a Dhaka court for misappropriating a donation fund of the Zia Orphanage Trust.

The HC granted her four months’ bail on March 12. Following an appeal against the HC bail order by the ACC, the Supreme Court on Monday (March 19) stayed the bail until May 8.

Khaleda has no faith in local lawyers, say AL leaders

Leaders of the ruling Awami League (AL) believe that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia does not have any faith in her local lawyers currently fighting her cases. BNP chief Khaleda Zia doesnt have any faith in her local lawyers and thats why she has appointed a foreign lawyer to fight for her release, said AL presidium member Mohammad Nasim while talking to this correspondent yesterday. BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday announced that his party chief Khaleda Zia has appointed a British lawyer to assist her local lawyers in fighting her cases. Speaking to The Independent, food minister Advocate Quamrul Islam criticised the BNPs move, saying the lawyer appointed by Khaleda had maintained lobbyists for war criminals during the war crimes trial in Bangladesh. He said BNP had proved its complicity with war criminals by appointing British lawyer Lord Carlile. So we will have to understand what the BNP believes in and what ideology the party practises, he added. Speaking on the issue, AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said he saw no legal bar to taking legal assistance from a foreign lawyer for a convict. She (Khaleda) is a convicted prisoner. She can take legal assistance for her bail. I am not aware of any bar to taking legal assistance from abroad, he said. BNP chief Khaleda Zia landed in prison on February 8 after she was handed a five-year jail sentence by a Dhaka court for misappropriating a donation fund of the Zia Orphanage Trust. The HC granted her four months bail on March 12. Following an appeal against the HC bail order by the ACC, the Supreme Court on Monday (March 19) stayed the bail until May 8.