Warrants have not reached police station as they are illegal: Khokon

The court’s arrest warrants for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia are not reaching the police station, since they are ‘illegal’, her lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokon has said.

He said this after the court on Wednesday fixed the next hearing date after upholding the warrants issued a week ago.

They are yet to reach the police station, said State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase on Wednesday afternoon.

“We’ll take a decision on the matter after getting the warrants,” he said.

Dhaka’s Third Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar issued the warrants on Feb 25 as the BNP chief skipped hearings in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

Speculation about Khaleda’s impending arrest has been rife ever since the warrants had been issued.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Parliament on Wednesday that steps would be taken as per the law.

Khaleda’s lawyers held a press conference at the Supreme Court premises after a hearing in the cases was held in her absence on Wednesday.

Her Adviser and Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association President Khandker Mahbub Hossain, General Secretary Khokon and former chief of the association AJ Mohammad Ali were present at the briefing.

Asked about the BNP chief’s current legal status, Khandker Mahbub said they knew nothing about this.

Khokon said the government used the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to issue the arrest warrants for a political purpose.

“This is because (she) has already expressed her lack of confidence in trial court judge and the case has been taken up in the High Court,” he said.

“These (warrants) are illegal and unethical. Can’t you see that they are not reaching (the police station) even after a week,” he added.

In reply to a query whether Khaleda is fugitive in the eyes of the law, the pro-BNP lawyer shot back saying: “Ask the government.”

He noted that the High Court had earlier given the BNP chief bail in the cases. 

“When the High Court Division bails someone, he or she must be given a show-cause notice before cancelling it. The court will check whether to cancel the bail after getting the reply. 

“But he (the judge of the special court) has cancelled the bail order suddenly,” Khokon said.