Khaleda appeals for staying graft trial

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today appealed to the Supreme Court for a stay on the trial proceedings of Zia Charitable Trust graft case against her.

Last Sunday, the High Court dismissed two revision petitions of Khaleda, seeking a stay on the trial, and paved way for a lower court to continue with the trial.

Today, she filed two separate petitions against the High Court order, that paved way for the trial, seeking stay in the trial proceeding, Raghib Rauf Chowdhury, a lawyer for the BNP chief, told The Daily Star.

The Supreme Court might hear the petitions next week, he added.

On April 18, the BNP chief filed two separate revision petitions with the HC challenging a lower court order that rejected her two applications in the graft case lodged by the ACC on August 8, 2011.

One of the applications was filed for re-cross examination of the investigation officer of the case while the other for scrutinising the case diary.

On May 10, the HC fixed May 15 (yesterday) for passing an order on the revision petitions.

Other accused in the case are Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda's former political secretary, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary of Harris, and

Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka. Harris is on the run.