Khaleda’s hearing on arson deferred till Sunday

The High Court today deferred till July 8 the hearing on a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking stay on the trial proceedings against her in an arson case filed under the special powers act in Comilla in 2015.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman was scheduled today to hear the petition.

But, the judges fixed Sunday next for hearing the petition after Attorney General MahbubeyAlam sought time for taking preparation for placing arguments, Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah told The Daily Star.

Seven people were killed and 25-26 others injured after a bus was torched in Comilla's Chouddagramupazila on February 2, 2015. The following day, police lodged two cases -- one for murder and another under the Special Powers Act, 1974 with Chouddagram Police Station in this connection.

On May 28 this year, the HC has granted bail to Khaleda for six months in the murder case.

Later, on July 2, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed the HC order of bail and asked the HC to hear and dispose of the rule issued over her permanent bail in this case within four weeks.

The HC on June 11 directed the trial court concerned in Comilla to expeditiously hear and dispose the bail petition of Khaleda in the arson case filed under the special powers act. The SC also upheld the HC order.

Khaleda, who stands accused in 34 cases, submitted the petition to the HC in May this year for scraping the trial proceedings against in the arson case filed under the special powers act in Comilla in 2015.

She said in the petition that her name was not in the first information report of the case lodged under the Special Powers Act and there was no specific allegation against her in the case.

Khaleda landed in jail on February 8 this year after a Dhaka court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.