The High Court on Thursday deferred till early April the hearing on two petitions filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia expressing “no-confidence” in the judge of a trial court.
The hearing of Khaleda’s petitions relating to Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases could not be held on Thursday as one of the judges was not present.
After a 15-day vacation ending 31 March, the HC will hear the petitions on 1 or 2 April depending on convenience, lawyers said.
The joint bench of Justice Rezaul Haque and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabarti adjourned the hearing as another Justice, Md Khasruzzaman, was not present at the court on Thursday.
On 5 March, the HC bench of Justice M Rezaul Karim and Justice M Khasruzzaman fixed 12 March as the date for hearing of the two cases.
Khaleda Zia filed the petitions with the HC on 28 January, expressing “no-confidence” in the judge of special court-3, Abu Ahmed Jamader, for trying her in the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trusts cases.
In her petitions, Khaleda sought transfer of the two cases to another court as she has apprehensions that she might not get justice from the said judge.
The BNP chairperson had earlier once got transferred the trial court judge Basudev Roy who framed charges against her and others in the two graft cases on identical grounds.
On 25 February, the special judge’s court-3 issued the warrant for the arrest of Khaleda Zia and two other accused in the cases, revoking her bail.
The other two are former MP Kazi Salimul Haque and Sharfuddin Ahmed.
On 3 March, Khaleda included two more prayers with the petitions seeking a stay on the lower court order that issued arrest warrant on 25 February for her in the cases.
Source: Prothom Alo
