BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, in a tweet message, asked the Chief Justice whether a state minister's statement on a sub-judice matter was not tantamount to contempt of court. “Newspapers carried out a report on Friday that a state minister without votes said 'Khaleda Zia has to go to jail within 15 days'. Was it not contempt of court to announce verdict on a sub-judice matter (sic)?” the message reads.

The former premier tweeted this two days after the state minister for local government, Moshiur Rahman Ranga, said at a function in Cox’s Bazar that Khaleda Zia had to go to jail within 15 days. Khaleda also said people were eager to see what steps the Chief Justice would take to protect the independence of the judiciary. The state minister allegedly made the statement when a Dhaka court concluded Khaleda’s argument hearing in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Thursday and fixed January 23, 24 and 25 to hear the arguments of the rest of the accused, namely Sarfuddin Ahmed and Kazi Salimul Huq.

The Independent has obtained a copy of the audio clip of the statement. The state minister could not be reached over phone for his comments.