Khaleda’s no-confidence in HC bench

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has expressed no-confidence in a High Court bench, which is set to give its verdict on April 5 on a petition for scraping the proceedings of Barapukuria coalmine corruption case against her.

The former prime minister today submitted an application to the chief justice through her four lawyers, expressing no confidence in the HC bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan.

Her counsels Khandker Mahbub Hossain, AJ Mohammad Ali, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Bodruddoza Badal forwarded the application to Chief Justice SK Sinha at his Supreme Court office in the afternoon.

Khaleda urged the chief justice to transfer the petition to another HC bench for hearing and disposal.

The chief justice accepted the application for its disposal, Bodruddoza Badal told The Daily Star.

He hoped that Justice Sinha will make a decision on the no-confidence plea before the HC bench delivers a verdict.

A lawyer for Khaleda, requesting anonymity, told this correspondent that she [Khaleda] apprehended in the application that she will not get justice from the bench, as it fixed date for delivering verdict on her petition without hearing arguments from her counsels.

Besides, Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury had been elected vice-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association from ruling Awami League panel before he became a judge, she mentioned in the application.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case, accusing Khaleda and 15 others of causing a loss of Tk 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for the operation of Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company abusing power.