Hearing on Khaleda petitions Monday

A third High Court bench is likely to hear on Monday BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s pleas in two corruption cases, an official privy to the matter has said.

The chief justice on Sunday forwarded the two petitions to Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque after another bench had issued split verdict on the pleas on May 25.

Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Roy said the judge had directed court officials to put the matter on top of Monday’s cause list, or business agenda.

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Khaleda on May 12 challenged the legality of appointment of Dhaka’s Special Judge-3 Basudeb Roy who indicted her in the ‘Zia Orphanage Trust’ and ‘Zia Charitable Trust’ graft cases on Mar 19.

She also sought a stay order on the proceedings of the cases.

After a two-day hearing, Justice Farah Mahbub issued a ruling and ordered a freeze on the proceedings of the cases, while Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo wanted to scrap the petitions.

As per rule, the matter was forwarded to the chief justice who assigned Justice Hoque’s bench to hear the pleas.

The former prime minister had moved the High Court challenging the indictment but the court dismissed her plea.

The Anti Corruption Commission in 2008 filed a case against six, including Khaleda and her son Tarique Rahman, for allegedly embezzling Tk 21 million from ‘Zia Orphanage Trust’ funds, which reportedly came from a foreign bank.

Charges were pressed against them two years later.

In 2011, the ACC accused the BNP chief and three others of pocketing Tk 31.5 million from the ‘Zia Charitable Trust’.

The national antigraft agency prosecuted the four in a chargesheet in 2012.