Dr Kamal Hossain ‘rejects BNP proposal to stand for Khaleda’ in appeal hearing

The BNP has approached eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain to stand for its chief Khaleda Zia in the hearing of an appeal in the High Court against her conviction in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Subrata Chowdhury, a presidium member of Dr Kamal’s Ganaforum, says the lawyer discussed the case with a BNP delegation on Tuesday, but did not respond positively to their proposal.

The BNP, however, says the news of ‘rejection of their proposal by Dr Kamal’ is not correct.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and lawyers for Khaleda Abdur Rezak Khan and Aminul Islam went to meet Dr Kamal at his chamber in Dhaka’s Motijheel on Tuesday afternoon.

Subrata, who is also a senior lawyer at the Supreme Court, was present during the hour-long meeting.

“They (BNP delegation) actually briefed him on the case and took his advice. Leaders and lawyers of different political parties had come here at different times, maybe they (politicians) will continue coming here in the future,” Subrata told bdnews24.com.

Asked what was discussed in the meeting, Subrata said, “They said they wished to get Dr Kamal Hossain on board as a lawyer for Khaleda Zia in the appeal hearing of the case.

“He (Dr Kamal) replied, ‘I do not fight criminal cases anymore and you (Abdur Rezak Khan) are a good lawyer for criminal cases. Moreover, I don’t go to the court anymore.’ They left shortly afterwards,” he added.

Lawyer Aminul, however, denied having approached Dr Kamal to get him as a counsel for Khaleda.

“It wasn’t a proposal at all. We just discussed the legal sides of the case. Sir (Dr Kamal) enquired about the appeal case,” he said.

“We actually went to brief him about the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and the verdict. He regretted the case and sympathised with madam (Khaleda). He has also kept a copy of the case with him,” he added.      

A special court in Dhaka sentenced the former prime minister to five years in jail for Tk 21 million corruption in Zia Orphanage Trust on Feb 8.

Khaleda’s son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others, got 10 years in jail each in the case.

The High Court on Feb 22 allowed Khaleda to challenge the special court verdict, but the order on her bail plea is stuck as related documents have not reached the High Court.

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Tuesday said Khaleda was still in jail ‘due to her counsels’ mistake’.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has refuted the law minister’s claim, saying the government ‘intentionally delayed’ Khaleda’s bail.

“Our senior lawyers are trying their best,” he told a news conference at the party’s Naya Paltan office on Tuesday.

Asked about Dr Kamal’s ‘refusal’ to stand for Khaleda, Rizvi said, “This is not true. We haven’t heard anything like this.”

“I believe everyone with a good heart feels the same in this bad time that we must topple this government.

“No one is refusing. Everyone is working together. Everyone is thinking about getting united,” he added.