SC upholds HC stay orders on trial of 4 cases against Khaleda
The Supreme Court today upheld four more High Court orders that stayed the trial proceedings against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in four cases -- three filed on charges of vandalism and arson and another for defamation -- in 2015.
The apex court, however, asked the High Court to hear and dispose of the rules issued in connection with the cases.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Justice Muhammad Imman Ali came up with the orders after virtually hearing four separate leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the state, seeking stay on the HC orders.
With today's orders, the SC has so far upheld 12 HC orders that stayed trial proceedings of 12 cases against Khaleda, her lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon told The Daily Star.
Additional Attorney General Momtaz Uddin Fakir appeared for the state while AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon represented Khaleda during the virtual proceedings of the court.
Mahbub Uddin Khokon said the HC stay orders on the trial proceedings of Khaleda will remain in force following the apex court orders.
The HC will hold hearing on the rules for its disposals, he said, adding that Khaleda Zia is on bail in these cases.
He said Khaleda Zia is accused in total 37 cases and she is on bail in 35 cases and has been convicted in two (Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft) cases.
The BNP chairperson got released from jail following an executive order issued by the government on March 25 this year.
Following four separate petitions filed by Khaleda, the HC on different days in 2017 stayed the trial proceedings against her in the three vandalism and arson cases and a defamation case and also issued four rules asking the government to explain as to why the proceedings of the cases should not be scrapped.
The vandalism and arson cases were filed with Darus Salam Police Station and the sedition case was filed with a Dhaka court against Khaleda Zia after she made a statement on the number of martyrs of the Liberation War.
The cases were filed during anti-government agitation enforced by BNP-led alliance in 2015.