BNP leaders meet Dr Kamal, talk about Khaleda case

Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain will give legal advice to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's lawyers in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case over which she was sentenced to five years in jail earlier this month, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

A delegation of the BNP, led by Fakhrul, yesterday met Dr Kamal at his chamber in Motijheel where they discussed the case.

“They [BNP] gave me the copy of the judgment. I will read it and give legal advice to them [lawyers],” Dr Kamal, also president of Gono Forum, told The Daily Star.

When asked whether he would move to the court to fight the legal battle, the jurist said, “I am yet to read the judgment. I will read it first and then give opinion and legal advice.”

Gono Forum leader Subrata Chowdhury was present in the meeting.

Contacted, he said, “Sir [Dr Kamal] told the BNP delegation that he does not deal with criminal cases and he is not regular in court.”

Talking to this correspondent, Fakhrul said, “We met Dr Kamal Hossain as a legal consultant at his Motijheel office and handed him over a copy of the judgment.

"He would give us legal advice after going through the verdict.”

Senior lawyers of the BNP and some other eminent lawyers are fighting the legal battle for Khaleda in court.

Khaleda, who landed in prison on February 8 after being convicted in the graft case, has to wait for a few more days to know the fate of her bail petition.

The High Court did not pass any order after concluding hearing on her petition. The HC said it will deliver an order on her bail prayer after getting the case records from the lower court that sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the corruption case.

The former prime minister on February 22 filed an appeal with the HC and also sought bail, challenging the special court's verdict.

The same day, the HC accepted the appeal and stayed the special court's verdict that fined her in addition to the jail term. It also ordered the court to send the case documents to it within 15 working days.