SC defers Khaleda pleas

The Appellate Division on Sunday deferred a hearing on 2 petitions filed by Khaleda Zia on the legality of appointment of a judge who indicted the BNP Chairperson in two graft cases. A 5-member bench headed by Chief Justice M Muzammel Hossain today set July 21 to hear the petitions rejected by the High Court (HC). Khaleda Zia’s counsels AJ Mohammad Ali, Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Md Asaduzzaman were present in the court. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state. Md Khurshid Alam Khan was present there on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission that filed the cases. Khaleda Zia submitted a plea to the Appellate Division seeking a stay on trial proceedings of the ‘Zia Orphanage Trust’ and ‘Zia Charitable Trust’ cases following the HC rule. Her lawyers sought time to file a leave to appeal on receipt of the HC rule and the Appellate Division set July 21 as the new date. The former prime minister had moved High Court, challenging the indictment but it dismissed her plea. She filed two appeals against the dismissal. Khaleda on May 12 challenged the legality of appointment of Judge Basudeb Roy who indicted her in the ‘Zia Orphanage Trust’ and ‘Zia Charitable Trust’ graft cases on March 19. She also sought a stay on the case proceedings, according to bdnews24.com.