Staff Reporter :
The Supreme Court on Sunday fixed today (Monday) for passing an order on a leave-to-appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the High Court order that allowed the lower court concerned to run the trial of Zia Charitable Trust case in her absence.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by the Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain fixed the date after concluding the hearing on the leave-to-appeal petition.
It depends on the Supreme Court order whether the lower court concerned in Dhaka will deliver verdict in the case scheduled on Monday, Advocate A J Mohammad Ali, a lawyer for Khaleda Zia, told the reporters.
On October 14, the HC bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice S M Kuddus Zaman rejected the revision petition filed by Khaleda seeking a stay on the trial proceedings of the case in her absence. BNP Chairperson filed appeal petition against the HC order.
On September 20, a Dhaka court exempted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from personal appearance and decided to continue the trial of the Zia Charitable Trust case inside the old Dhaka Central Jail in her absence.
Khaleda filed the revision petition with the HC on September 27 challenging the legality of a trial court decision to continue the proceedings of the case in her absence.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust case against Khaleda and three others with Tejgaon Police Station in August, 2011.
According to the case statement, the former Prime Minister and three others abused their power and raised funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The three others were Harris Chowdhury, Political Secretary to the then PM Khaleda, Ziaul Islam Munna, Assistant Private Secretary (APS) to Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
The former Prime Minister was sentenced to serve five years in jail on February 8 in the Zia Orphanage Trust case. She was sent to prison the same day.
