The Appellate Division on Sunday fixed Monday for passing an order on a leave-to-appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking cancellation of the High Court order clearing the way for continuation of the trial proceedings in the case in her absence.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain fixed the date to pass the order.On the other hand, a Special Judge Court installed inside the old central jail is scheduled to deliver its verdict in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case on Monday (29 October).
“We did not get justice from the lower courts and even from the High Court, We hope we will get justice from the Appellate Division” said Khaleda’s Lawyer Advocate Joynul Abedin. He further said the delivery of the verdict in by the Special Judge Court in the case depends on the SC court order to be given on Monday.
On October 14, the High Court bench of Justice Obaidul Hasan and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman cleared the way to continuation of the trial proceedings of the graft case against Khaleda in her absence as they rejected a writ petition filed by the BNP chief.
On October 18, a leave-to-appeal petition was filed with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the High Court order.On September 20, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 of Dhaka decided to continue the trial proceedings in the absence of the main accused.On September 27, the BNP chairperson filed the writ petition with the High Court challenging a lower court’s decision.Meanwhile, the special court on October 16 fixed October 29 for passing verdict in the corruption case.
Khaleda Zia, who has been in jail since her conviction in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8, refused to appear before the court during the trial of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case on ‘safety grounds’.Later, the government shifted the court to jail premises to ensure her safety. Yet, she did not appear before the court.
The state counsel appealed to the court to continue the trial proceedings of the case in the absence of Khaleda Zia. The court accepted their pleading.The case was filed by the Anti-corruption Commission with Tejgaon Police Station in August, 2011, accusing Khaleda and three others of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.
source: UNB
