Khaleda among 76 sued over Comilla arson attack

Two cases have been filed against 76 leaders and activists of the 20-party alliance, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for criminal solicitation, in connection with a petrol bomb attack on a bus that left seven people dead in Chauddagram upazila In Comilla  early Tuesday, report agencies.
In another evelopment, the High Court has set February 9 for hearing petitions filed by Khaleda Zia in the GATCO graft case.
Sub-inspector of Chauddagram Police Station Nuruzzaman filed the cases against 56 named, including Sayed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, foreign affairs secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, and 20 unnamed leaders and activists of the alliance on Tuesday night.
According to the case statement, the arson attack was carried out following an order of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.Comilla Superintendent of Police Tutul Chakrabraty confirmed the filing of the cases.
Meanwhile, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has recently moved to revive proceedings in the GATCO graft case, which the High Court had earlier stopped.
Following a plea by the ACC for a hearing on the HC rule regarding the legality of the case under the Emergency Rule Act, the matter was included in the court's cause list on Jan 28.
The same day, the bench of justices Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and JBM Hassan set Wednesday (Feb 4) for the hearing.
Meanwhile, the ACC filed another plea to hear a second HC rule on a separate petition by Khaleda Zia over the corruption charges.
In 2008, a High Court bench issued a rule and stayed the trial's proceedings after hearing a petition of the BNP chief.
The ACC filed the GATCO corruption case on Sept 2, 2007, during the military-installed caretaker regime against Khaleda, her youngest son Arafat Rahman Coco and 11 others.