'Highly dissatisfied'
HC annoyed as Khaleda's lawyers show up late again
The High Court yesterday once again expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with the lawyers representing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as they did not appear before it on time for placing arguments on her appeal against the trial court verdict in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman asked Khaleda's lawyers to finish placing their arguments by Sunday. The judges adjourned the hearing on the petition till 10:30am on that day.
During yesterday's proceedings, Barrister Kayser Kamal and Advocate Mushfiqur Rahman, two junior lawyers for Khaleda, took time from the court twice, saying that senior lawyers, who were in another court for hearing on a bail petition of Khaleda, will appear before it for placing arguments on the appeal.
The judges waited for the senior lawyers for a long time and then left the courtroom around 3:30pm, Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.
He said the judges expressed strong dissatisfaction saying that the senior lawyers were not very interested to finish placing arguments, although the Appellate Division has given them a time limit till October 31 for disposing of the appeal.
Barrister Kayser told this correspondent that the senior lawyers were busy at another HC bench with hearing on a bail petition filed by Khaleda in an arson case lodged in Cumilla.
Earlier, the HC bench expressed dissatisfaction twice with Khaleda's lawyers for not appearing before it on time for placing arguments on her appeal.
Khaleda filed the appeal challenging the trial court verdict that sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. Khaleda has been in jail since she was sentenced on February 8.
ZIA CHARITABLE TRUST GRAFT CASE
Yesterday, another HC bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman fixed Sunday for passing order on a revision petition filed by Khaleda, seeking a stay on the proceedings against her in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.
Khaleda filed the petition with the HC on September 27, challenging legality of a trial court decision to continue the case proceedings in her absence. In the petition, she prayed to issue a rule on the ACC and the government to explain why the lower court's decision should not be scrapped.
On September 20, a Dhaka court decided to continue the case's trial inside Old Dhaka Central Jail in her absence.
Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali placed arguments for Khaleda while Advocate Khurshid Alam appeared for the ACC.