HC defers hearing on Comilla arson case

The High Court (HC) yesterday deferred till Sunday the hearing on a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, seeking stay on the trial in an arson case filed against her under Special Powers Act in Comilla in 2015.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman was scheduled to hear the petition.

However, the bench deferred the hearing till Sunday after Attorney General Mahbubey Alam sought time for preparation, Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah told The Daily Star.

Seven people were killed and 25-26 others injured after a bus was torched in Comilla's Chauddagram upazila on February 2015.

The following day, two cases were lodged with Chauddagram Police Station for murder and arson under the Special Powers Act.

On May 28 this year, the HC granted six months anticipatory bail to Khaleda in the murder case.

The former premier submitted the petition to the HC in May this year pleading the court to scrap the trial against her in the arson case.

In the petition, Khaleda said her name was not included in the first information report (FIR) and there was no specific allegation against her in the arson case.