Punish as long as you can: Khaleda ask the court

Weekly Holiday   7 September 2018

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday told the special judge’s court to punish her as long as it wants.

As she was brought in a wheel chair in the makeshift courtroom inside erstwhile Dhaka Central Jail Begum Zia said “Punish me as much as you want, punish me as long as you want. I am sick. I will not appear in court frequently,’

As she was brought from her prison cell before Special Judge Court-5 in connection with Zia Charitable Trust corruption case, said that there is no scope for a fair trial.

The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case against Khaleda and three others with Tejgaon Police Station in August, 2011. According to the case statement, the former prime minister and three others abused their power and raised funds for the trust from unknown sources.

Previously, the trial proceedings in the corruption case have taken place at a makeshift court in Bakshibazar area.

Earlier on Tuesday, the law ministry issued a gazette notification deciding to hold trial of Zia Charitable Trust case at the old Dhaka central jail where the BNP chief is being kept as convicted prisoner after she had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8, 2018.
The decision was made taking Khaleda’s security into consideration, the gazette mentioned.

On Wednesday, Khaleda Zia, clad in a pink dress and sitting on a wheelchair, was brought to the courtroom around 12:24pm and she was seen having difficulty to move her left hand.

“The decision to shift the court was taken a week ago, then why the gazette notification was issued yesterday,” she asked the court.
Replying to query on her health condition, Khaleda, while leaving the courtroom, told journalists that her left foot and hand have almost been paralysed.”
Her lawyers were not allowed to defend her, the BNP chief alleged.

The Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Court-5 adjourned the hearing till September 12.

Gazette Challenged

Meanwhile, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday, sent a legal notice to the government, requesting it to cancel the gazette notification that decided to conduct the trial of Zia Charitable Trust corruption case against her in a makeshift court inside the old central jail, Dhaka.
Barrister Muhammad Nawshad Zamir served the legal notice on behalf of Khaleda Zia saying that appropriate legal action will be taken if the law ministry does not cancel and rescind the gazette notification by September 8.

The lawyer said in the legal notice that “the special order declaring a room in Administrative Building of old Dhaka central jail as a court for holding trial of one particular case has been issued by the government with malafide, colourful exercise, and palpable abuse of power under Section 9(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)”.

“Thus, the special order declaring a particular room in the old Dhaka central jail is absolutely illegal and without lawful authority as being totally unwarranted by law” the legal notice says.

The lawyer also said in the legal notice that the special order is void as being passed illegally and without lawful authority, infringing Article 35(3) of the constitution of the country that guarantees every person accused of a criminal offence the inalienable fundamental right “to a speedy and public trial”.

BNP announces programme

BNP, on Wednesday, announced a two-day countrywide event demanding the release of its Chairperson, Khaleda Zia, from jail.
The event includes holding of an hour-long human chain on September 8 and a two-hour-long token hunger strike on September 12.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the schedule at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, saying: “Our party leaders and activists will form human chains in all metropolitan cities and district towns from 11am to 12pm on Saturday.

“The human chain will be held at Jatiya Press Club on the same day and at the same time. Additionally, the party will observe a token hunger strike in all metropolitan cities and all district headquarters from 10am 12pm on September 12.”

The BNP leader also mentioned that they have sought permission from the authorities of Mohanagar Natto Moncho and the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh to secure a venue to hold their token hunger strike.