Govt creating 'smokescreen' over verdict copy: BNP

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgiron alleged on Friday that the government was creating a 'smokescreen' over providing the certified copy of the lower court verdict against their chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, reports UNB.

He came up with the remark while talking to reporters after a meeting between BNP standing committee members and the lawyers of Jatiyatabdi Ainjibi Forum at the party chairperson's Gulshan office.

"The government is not giving the certified copy of the verdict unlawfully. It's complete violation of the law as it should be given within five days of delivering the judgment," the BNP leader said.

As the government still did not provide the certified copy of the verdict over the last eight days, he said it can be understood that the government in a planned way is trying to prolong Khaleda's stay in jail. "We strongly condemn and protest it."

He urged the government to create a scope so that the law can take its own course.

Fakhrul said the government is trying to keep the BNP chairperson away from politics and the next polls. "People will give a befitting reply to it through waging a movement."

Replying to a question, Supreme Court Bar Association president Advocate Joynal Abedin said as per the rules, the copy of the verdict should be given within five working days. "But the copy is yet to be provided. The court is telling us every day that you'll get it tomorrow as we're examining it. But there's no scope for examining the verdict or amending it once it is delivered."

The BNP standing committee members sat in the meeting with the lawyers around 5pm ahead of upcoming Dhaka Bar polls.

At the meeting, they also discussed various issues relating to Khaleda's case verdict and worked out the strategy for carrying out a legal battle to ensure Khaleda's release from jail.

Apart from Fakhrul, BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Supreme Court Bar Association president Joynal Abedin, secretary Mahbubuddin Khokan, advocates Netai Roy Chowdhury, Mir Mohammad Nasir and Sanaullah Miah were, among others, present.