Writ hearing on shifting Khaleda’s trial court tomorrow

The High Court will tomorrow resume the hearing on a writ petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, challenging legality of a government notification that said the Niko corruption case trial against her will be held at a special court in Keraniganj Central Jail.

The petition has been included in tomorrow’s cause list of the HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Md Khairul Alam for a hearing.

On May 28, the same bench held a hearing on the writ petition and adjourned the hearing until tomorrow.

Earlier on May 13, the Law Ministry issued a gazette notification saying that trials of 17 cases, including the Niko graft case, against the BNP chairperson would be held at a special court set up at building-2 in Keraniganj Central Jail for security reasons.

Khaleda filed the writ petition with the HC on May 26 challenging the legality of the government notification.

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 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.