Bangladesh court keeps freeze on 4 cases of violence against BNP chief Khaleda

The Appellate Division has suspended the proceedings of four cases of violence filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia five years ago.

The cases filed with Darussalam and Jatrabari police stations accuse Khaleda of inciting violence during the anti-government blockade in 2015.

The top court also issued an order to dispose of a previous rule issued by the High Court on the allegations.

A five-judge virtual panel headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order on Monday.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for the state, aided by Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Debnath, while lawyers Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Badruddoza Badal appeared for Khaleda.

After the BNP was prevented from holding a rally in 2015 to protest the anniversary of the 10th Bangladesh parliamentary election, Khaleda called a nationwide blockade.

In the course of the blockade that lasted 90 days, vehicles and buildings were fire-bombed, leading to almost 150 deaths.

The former prime minister has been named in several cases on charges of inciting violence.

Three of the cases were filed by the Darussalam Police Station and the fourth by Jatrabari Police Station in Dhaka.

Lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokon told reporters: “These cases took place in Darussalam and Jatrabari in 2015. Her name was not in the FIR because Khaleda Zia was interned in Gulshan.”

Khaleda was later brought into the charge-sheets and the cases have no legal basis, he said.

Earlier, the High Court suspended the legal proceedings of the cases against Khaleda in 2017.

The High Court at the time heard her petition challenging the trial court's cognizance of the charges pressed by police.