Jail official says they won’t take Khaleda to court Sunday for Barapukuria case hearing

A senior jail official has said they are not taking Khaleda Zia, jailed for corruption in Zia Orphanage Trust 10 days ago, to court on Sunday for the hearing of another graft case.

The Special Judge’s Court No. 2 of Dhaka is scheduled to hear the Barapukuria coal mine graft case on the day.

Senior Jail Superintendent Jahangir Kabir confirmed to bdnews24.com on Saturday night that they were not taking Khaleda to the court.

It could be her first public appearance since Feb 8 when another special court sentenced her to five years in jail for corruption in Zia Orphanage Trust.

She is in the old jail on Nazimuddin Road now.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and jail officials said they kept the former prime minister there as it is very near the courts set up for other cases against her.

The court hearing the Barapukuria case is located at Aliya Madrasa premises in Bakhshibazar area.

On Feb 12, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Md Touhidul Islam told bdnews24.com that they received orders to present Khaleda in court on Feb 18 in a case of Shahbagh Police Station and on Mar 4 in another case of Tejgaon Police Station.

The DIG prisons had said the cases were started in 2008 but did not specify the charges against Khaleda.

In the Barapukuria coal mine graft case, the Anti-Corruption Commission says the state incurred about Tk 1.59 billion in losses as Khaleda had given the contract to China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation or CMC when she was the prime minister.

A police official in charge of Khaleda’s security said earlier on Saturday they were not preparing for taking Khaleda to court.

He told bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity: “We are not taking her to court on Sunday. There should have preparations for that was to happen. We don’t have any instruction on the matter.”   

Senior Jail Super Jahangir had not received bdnews24.com phone calls for comments on the issue earlier.

In reply to an SMS asking him whether they would take Khaleda to court on Sunday or not, he wrote, “No”, without giving further details or any reason behind the decision.

The lawyers for Khaleda earlier said they also thought the authorities would not take Khaleda to court.

Lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder told bdnews24.com: “I see no sign of taking Khaleda Zia to court. There is no information on it yet. Maybe the authorities are not taking her to court.”

The lawyers could not file any petition challenging the special court verdict or seeking Khaleda’s bail as a certified copy of the verdict was not available yet on Saturday.  

Expressing ire over the ‘delay’ in releasing a copy of the verdict, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam said the government was trying to delay the release of Khaleda.