Khaleda seeks stay on trial

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday filed a revision petition with the High Court (HC) seeking a stay on the proceedings against her in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The BNP chief challenged the legality of a trial court decision to continue the proceedings in her absence, and prayed to issue a rule on Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the government to explain why the lower court's decision should not be scrapped.

Trial cannot continue if the accused is sick, her lawyer Barrister Kaiser Kamal said, adding, that setting up a court in old Dhaka jail is unlawful and unconstitutional.

On September 20, a Dhaka court decided to continue the trial of the case inside old Dhaka central jail in her absence.

Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday fixed October 24 for framing charges against Khaleda in cases filed for undermining the national flag and observing “fake birthday” on August 15.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur set the date. Both the cases were filed in 2016.