HC refuses to stay trial proceedings against Khaleda

A High Court bench yesterday refused to stay the trial proceedings against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case filed by the Anti Corruption Commission in 2011.

The bench of Justice Miftah Uddin Choudhury and Justice Khizir Ahmed Choudhury, however, advised Khaleda's lawyers to move her two petitions that sought stay on the trial proceedings before a regular bench after reopening of the HC. The court will reopen on May 2 after its ongoing annual vacation.

The HC bench passed the order as one of its judges refused to hear Khaleda's two petitions without mentioning any reason, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

He said Khaleda Zia's lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali yesterday prayed to the HC bench to stay the trial proceedings of the case till reopening of the court.

On April 18, the BNP chairperson filed the petitions with the HC challenging a lower court order that rejected her two applications in the corruption case.

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

On April 17, a Dhaka court rejected the applications of the BNP chief after her lawyers submitted those before the court at Bakshibazar in the presence of Khaleda. It also fixed April 25 for hearing her statements in the case.

Earlier on April 7, the HC rejected another petition of Khaleda, clearing the way for a lower court to continue the trial proceedings against her in the graft case.