Khaleda’s trial transferred to special court for security reasons: Law minister

The government has refuted the BNP’s claim of a political motive behind shifting cases against party chief Khaleda Zia to a special court and said security concerns were the reason behind the decision.

On Sunday, the law ministry issued an order transferring trials of 14 cases and two petition cases against Khaleda to the makeshift courtroom set up in Dhaka’s Bakshibazar.

The former prime minister’s trials in the Zia Charitable and Zia Orphanage Trusts graft cases are being heard there by a Dhaka special judge.

“Whenever Khaleda Zia attends a court hearing, 300 to 400 people accompany her, which makes the law-enforcers’ job difficult. The cases have been shifted considering security reasons,” Law Minister Anisul Huq told the media on Monday.

The BNP has been claiming that the government wants to end the trials hastily and convict the party chief in an effort to bar her from contesting in the next general elections.

Rebutting it, Huq said, “Khaleda Zia’s trials are being held in due process and there’s no hurry. The government has no intention to finish the trials quickly.”