Submit HC stay orders on 11 cases

A Dhaka court yesterday warned that charges would be framed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia if she fails to submit before it on April 25 the High Court's stay order on 11 criminal cases including a sedition one.

Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order after Khaleda's lawyer Sanaullah Mia submitted 11 separate petitions seeking adjournment of the hearing.

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In the petitions, Sanaullah told the court that their client had earlier filed separate writ petitions with the High Court seeking quashment of the case proceedings.

After the hearing, the HC stayed the trial proceedings of three cases on different dates. But Khaleda's lawyers were yet to get any certified copies of the stay order. Moreover, hearing of eight other cases now remains pending with the HC. This is why they prayed for adjournment of the hearing, the lawyer said.

Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu opposed the petitions and appealed to the court to frame charges against Khaleda in eight other cases as there was no stay order on those cases.

After hearing both sides, the court granted the petitions and asked Khaleda to appear before it at the next scheduled date. 

Earlier on March 28, the same court had said that legal orders would be framed against Khaleda in absentia in 11 cases if she failed to appear before it yesterday.

Of the 11 cases, 10 were filed in the first three months of 2015 over arson attacks on vehicles. The other was filed with a Dhaka court on charge of making seditious comments about freedom fighters and the Liberation War martyrs.

Police in May and June last year pressed charges against Khaleda and several other BNP leaders and activists for their alleged involvement in arson attacks on buses.