ARSON CASE AGAINST KHALEDA

HC stays trial proceedings

Stay on sedition case still in force

The High Court (HC) yesterday stayed the trial proceedings of two arson cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. In response to separate writ petitions, a bench of the HC comprising Justice Miftah Uddin Chowdhury and Justice ANM Bashir Ullah came up with the orders.
The HC bench also issued two separate rules asking the government to explain why the proceedings of the cases against Khaleda should not be scrapped.
However, Deputy Attorney General Shaikh AKM Moniruzzaman Kabir told reporters that the government would move with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court by filing appeals for staying the operation of the HC orders. On April 5, the BNP chief filed two separate petitions with the HC challenging the legality of the trial proceedings against her in two arson cases. In her petitions, the BNP chief prayed the HC to scrap the trial proceedings of the cases against her. After filing the petitions, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan told reporters that his client challenged the trial court order, which had taken into cognisance the charges against her in the cases on August 10 last year. The two cases were lodged with capital's Darus Salam Police Station on February 10 and 20 in 2015 for setting two buses on fire during the countrywide blockade program of the BNP-led four-party alliance. Police submitted charge sheet in the cases on May 12 and 14 last year implicating Khaleda Zia along with other accused. The BNP chief on April 4 submitted two separate petitions to the HC challenging the lower court order that accepted the charges.
In the petitions, she said that her name was not included in the first information report (FIR) of the cases as she was confined during the incident. But, her name was included in charge sheet of both the cases with an ill-motive to harass her politically, the petition added.
Meanwhile, the stay order on the trial proceedings of a sedition case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for her remarks about the number of martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War will remain in force, adds UNB. Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Syed Mahmud Hossain dropped a petition filed by the state from the cause list yesterday following an appeal filed by deputy attorney general Masud Hasan Chowdhury Parag. Masud said, "We want to file a leave-to-appeal petition with the court against the High Court order and it will be done after getting the HC verdict copy." Earlier, on March 29, the High Court stayed for six months the proceedings of the sedition case filed against the BNP chief for her remarks about the number of martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War. On December 21, 2015, Khaleda Zia at a discussion at the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh raised questions about the number of Liberation War martyrs. "There're controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War. There're also many books and documents on the controversies," she had said.
Khaleda's remarks triggered widespread criticism.

ARSON CASE AGAINST KHALEDA

HC stays trial proceedings

Stay on sedition case still in force

The High Court (HC) yesterday stayed the trial proceedings of two arson cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. In response to separate writ petitions, a bench of the HC comprising Justice Miftah Uddin Chowdhury and Justice ANM Bashir Ullah came up with the orders. The HC bench also issued two separate rules asking the government to explain why the proceedings of the cases against Khaleda should not be scrapped. However, Deputy Attorney General Shaikh AKM Moniruzzaman Kabir told reporters that the government would move with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court by filing appeals for staying the operation of the HC orders. On April 5, the BNP chief filed two separate petitions with the HC challenging the legality of the trial proceedings against her in two arson cases. In her petitions, the BNP chief prayed the HC to scrap the trial proceedings of the cases against her. After filing the petitions, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan told reporters that his client challenged the trial court order, which had taken into cognisance the charges against her in the cases on August 10 last year. The two cases were lodged with capitals Darus Salam Police Station on February 10 and 20 in 2015 for setting two buses on fire during the countrywide blockade program of the BNP-led four-party alliance. Police submitted charge sheet in the cases on May 12 and 14 last year implicating Khaleda Zia along with other accused. The BNP chief on April 4 submitted two separate petitions to the HC challenging the lower court order that accepted the charges. In the petitions, she said that her name was not included in the first information report (FIR) of the cases as she was confined during the incident. But, her name was included in charge sheet of both the cases with an ill-motive to harass her politically, the petition added. Meanwhile, the stay order on the trial proceedings of a sedition case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for her remarks about the number of martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War will remain in force, adds UNB. Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Syed Mahmud Hossain dropped a petition filed by the state from the cause list yesterday following an appeal filed by deputy attorney general Masud Hasan Chowdhury Parag. Masud said, We want to file a leave-to-appeal petition with the court against the High Court order and it will be done after getting the HC verdict copy. Earlier, on March 29, the High Court stayed for six months the proceedings of the sedition case filed against the BNP chief for her remarks about the number of martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War. On December 21, 2015, Khaleda Zia at a discussion at the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh raised questions about the number of Liberation War martyrs. Therere controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War. Therere also many books and documents on the controversies, she had said. Khaledas remarks triggered widespread criticism.