Fakhrul: Khaleda’s verdict will be what the prime minister wants

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has claimed that the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has already been predetermined. “The verdict will be what the prime minister wants it to be," Fakhrul alleged during a press conference at BNP's Nayapaltan Central Office on Thursday. Referring to comments by various ministers and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad, that Khaleda Zia would end up in jail, the BNP secretary general said the statements were tantamount to contempt of court. “If Khaleda Zia is going to jail, has the government already written the judgment? Why is the trial even necessary? The comments and lack of action for them prove that justice is far beyond the rule of law in Bangladesh,” Fakhrul said. The BNP leader further accused the government of restricting the freedom of judiciary by forcing former chief justice SK Sinha to step down. “The judgments in the courts are fully in the control of the government,” Fakhrul added. “The government fears Khaleda Zia and wants to keep her away from the next election. The way members of security forces surrounded the court area during the trial, it seems that this trial is going on in a military court under military rule. Such abusive, inhuman behavior just reminds me of military rule and fascism,” he said.  This article was first published on banglatribune.com