Bakshibazar turns battlefield
Alleged activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League attacked workers of BNP and its front organisations at Chankharpool triggering clashes when BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was on way to a Dhaka court to attend graft case hearing.
Police also charged batons on the agitators to disperse them, leaving at least five people injured.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of BNP, also torched the microbus of Chhabi Biswas, ruling Awami League lawmaker from Netrakona-1 constituency in front of Dhaka Medical College during the clash, witnesses said.
Biswas, who suffered head injuries during the attack, was receiving treatment at the emergency unit of theDhaka Medical College and Hospital.
Meanwhile, the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of the ruling Awami League, attacked the workers of BNP and its associate bodies when they were waiting at Chankharpool to welcome Khaleda's motorcade.
The clash outside the court started around 12:25pm when the BNP men attacked the law enforcers after Khaleda entered inside the court building to appear before the newly appointed Judge of Special Judge Court-3 Abu Ahmed Jamadar.
Around 10,000 BNP activists today gathered in front of the court and Chankharpool area since morning to welcome Khaleda but suddenly they attacked the law enforcers deployed there, triggering the clash.
Later, Judge Jamadar adjourned the hearing in the cases till January 7 in response to separate adjournment prayers submitted by Khaleda's lawyers saying that they are not prepared enough for dealing with the hearing.
A Dhaka court today adjourned the proceeding of two graft cases against BNP chief Khaleda Zia and 8 others till January 7, next year.
Judge of Special Judge Court-3 Abu Ahmed Jamadar passed the order following separate adjournment prayers submitted by Khaleda's lawyers saying that they are not prepared enough for dealing with the cases.
Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, a lawyer for Khaleda, told the court that as the judge and a defence lawyer are new, they sought adjournment of the hearing.
Earlier on December 18, the government transferred Judge Bashudev Roy, who had been dealing with two corruption cases against Khaleda and eight others, midway through the trial following Khaleda's repeated request to the High Court expressing no confidence to him. The government however said the move was done under "routine framework."
Judge Jomadar, a district judge and joint secretary to the law ministry, replaced Roy on December 22.
The court headed by Roy framed charges against Khaleda, her son and BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and seven others in the two graft cases on March 19.
She filed two writ petitions with the HC, challenging the legality of the appointment of Bashudev to the Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka. The HC rejected her petitions and the Appellate Division upheld the HC orders.
Khaleda then sought transfer of the cases to another judge's court.
Judge Bashudev on December 17 recorded depositions in the corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, and fixed today (December 24) for further recording.
The anti-graft body filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case in 2009 against seven people in connection with embezzlement of over Tk 2.1 crore. The other case was filed in 2011 accusing Khaleda and three others of abusing power in setting up the charitable trust.
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