ACC allowed to argue in Khaleda’s petition hearing

The High Court yesterday permitted the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to become a party in the writ petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the government notification that said the Niko corruption case trial against her will be held at a special court in Keraniganj Central Jail. 

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Md Khairul Alam gave the permission following a prayer moved by ACC’s lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan in this regard.

The bench also set today for holding hearing on the writ petition.

Advocate Khurshid told The Daily Star that the commission now has a scope to place arguments against the writ petition.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed and Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali appeared for  Khaleda, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.

On May 13, the law ministry issued a gazette notification, saying trials of 17 cases, including the Niko graft case, against Khaleda would be held at a special court set up at building-2 of Keraniganj Central Jail for security reasons. 

Trial of the Niko graft case was being held at a special court set up inside the old Dhaka central jail while trials of the 16 other cases were taking place at a makeshift court at the Government Alia Madrasa in the capital’s Bakshibazar.

Khaleda Zia on May 26 filed the writ petition with the HC challenging the legality of the government’s May 13 notification. Khaleda landed in jail on February 8 last year after a Dhaka court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. On October 30, the HC enhanced the punishment of Khaleda to 10 years in this case. Another court on October 29 convicted Khaleda and sentenced her to seven years’ imprisonment in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.