A High Court (HC) vacation bench on Tuesday ordered to send BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s petition challenging government order of transferring cases against her to a makeshift court raised in front of Keraniganj Central Jail, to a regular bench for hearing.
A High Court division vacation bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Md. Khairul Alam passed the order on Tuesday. The High Court is scheduled to start its normal operation from June 16, after the end of ongoing vacation.
Government recently transferred 15 cases including Niko and Gatco graft cases filed against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and others to the makeshift court.
A Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry gazette notification was issued on May 12, saying the cases were transferred to the temporary court at newly constructed building-2 in front of Keraniganj Central Jail over security reasons.
The 15 cases are: Niko graft case, Gatco graft case, Boropukuria graft case, eight cases of sabotage lodged with Darus Salam Police Station, a case lodged with Jatrabari Police Station over torching a bus, and three defamation cases. Khaleda’s lawyers on May 26 filed the petition, challenging the court transfer order of the government. The BNP chief is now undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) under jail custody. She was in jail after getting convicted in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8, 2018. She was later sentenced to seven-year in jail in Zia Charitable Trust graft case. Meanwhile, acting attorney general Md Murad Reza after yesterday’s court order, said, Khaleda’s counsel filed the plea only for time killing.
