Khaleda not taken to court for illness

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The jail authorities did not produce detained BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia before a special court for the hearing on charge framing in the Niko corruption case yesterday.

State counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kajal told newsmen that Khaleda was not produced before the court due to her illness. However, counsels for Khaleda claimed the jail authorities gave no reason for failing to produce her before the court.

“We know she [Khaleda] is doing fine. The proceedings of the case cannot go on without her presence. The government did not notify the court as to why she was not produced before the judge,” said advocate Sanaullah Miah, a defence lawyer.

He said the proceeding of a case cannot go on, after it has been taken into cognisance, without the presence of an arrested accused.

He also said the court took the case into cognisance on May 7.

As Judge Khondker Kamal Uz-Zaman did not show up to conduct the court proceedings, judge Sirajul Islam was there as acting judge of the court. The session began around 11:00am, nearly an hour and 30 minutes behind schedule.

Khaleda’s counsel Abdur Razaque Khan told the court that the jail authorities have to show medical certificates if Khaleda was indeed ill. He said the jail authorities failed to produce any such documents.

He told reporters that he asked the court to issue a notice against the jail authorities ordering them to explain in details as to why Khaleda was not produced before the court yesterday.

The court did not pass any order in this regard.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, as a counsel for Khaleda, submitted a petition to the court asking permission for defence lawyers to meet Khaleda at the sub-jail.

The judge did not pass any order in this regard either.

The court set June 1 for the hearing after defence lawyers mentioned that slain president Ziaur Rahman’s death anniversary is on May 30.

Seven other accused in the case were produced before the Special Court-9 set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises.

The accused produced before the court yesterday are former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former Bapex secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former Bapex managing director Mir Moynul Hoque, former Bapex secretary Md Shafiur Rahman, controversial businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun and former Dhaka Club president Selim Bhuiyan.

Over 100 lawyers, led by Delwar Hossain and former BNP lawmaker advocate Khandaker Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, were present at court yesterday.

Security was beefed up around the court in anticipation of the BNP chairperson’s appearance. BNP leaders and supporters thronged the Sangsad Bhaban area.

Assistant Director of the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) Mahbubul Alam filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on December 9 last year. The ACC submitted a charge sheet against Khaleda and 10 others on May 5.

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