The High Court today stayed the trial proceedings of a sedition case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for next six months.

The court also issued a rule upon the government and the plaintiff of the case to explain in four weeks why the trial court order of accepting the case should not be scrapped.

The HC bench of Justice Md Miftah Uddin Choudhury and Justice ANM Bashir Ullah came up with the order and rule following a petition filed by the Khaleda challenging the trial proceedings of the case.

Earlier on January 5, the BNP chief filed a petition praying to the HC seeking stay on the proceedings of the case which was lodged for her comments on the count of 1971 martyrs.

According to the case, complainant Momtaz Uuddin Ahmed Mehedi alleged Khaleda Zia on December 21, 2015 at a programme organised by Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal marking the 45th Victory Day said “there are controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War.”

The news was published in different newspapers the following day which hurt the complainant and it was tantamount to sedition.

A Dhaka court on August 10 last year accepted the charges against Khaleda in the case for its trial.