The Appellate Division has fixed Monday for passing an order on a leave-to-appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking cancellation of the High Court order clearing the way for continuation of the trial proceedings in the case in her absence.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain fixed the date on Sunday.
On the other hand, a Special Judge’s Court installed inside the old central jail is scheduled to deliver its verdict in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case on Monday.
“ Neither the lower courts nor the High Court could give us justice but we still hope the Appellate Division will not disappoint us" said Khaleda's Lawyer Advocate Joynul Abedin.
He further said the delivery of the verdict by the Special Judge Court in the case depends on the Supreme Court order.
On October 14, the High Court cleared the way to continuation of the trial proceedings of the graft case against Khaleda in her absence as they rejected a writ petition filed by the BNP chief.
On October 18, a leave-to-appeal petition was filed with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the High Court order.
On September 20, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court 5 decided to continue the trial proceedings in the absence of the main accused.
On September 27, the BNP chairperson filed the writ petition with the High Court challenging a lower court's decision.
Meanwhile, the special court on October 16 fixed October 29 for passing verdict in the corruption case.
Khaleda Zia, who has been in jail since her conviction in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8, refused to appear before the court during the trial of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case on "safety grounds."
Later, Begum Zia refrained from appearing despite the government’s move to shift the court to jail premises to ensure her safety.
Consequently, the state counsel appealed to the court to continue the trial proceedings of the case in the absence of Khaleda Zia. The pleading was accepted.
The case was filed by the Anti-corruption Commission with Tejgaon police station in August, 2011, accusing Khaleda and three others of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.
According to the case statement, the former prime minister and three others abused their power and raised Tk3.15 crore for the trust from unknown sources.
On January 16, 2012, ACC submitted a charge sheet against four accused including Khaleda. The trial started on March 19, 2013.
After depositions witnesses were recorded, on December 1, 2017 and Khaleda Zia appeared before the court and placed her statement of self-defense.
Rejecting allegations of corruption in her statement, the BNP chief claimed herself innocent and demanded justice in the case.
The three other accused are Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to former prime minister Khaleda; Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary to Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, assistant private secretary to former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
Among them, Harris Chowdhury is absconding while the others are behind bars.
The BNP chairperson is now undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University supervised by a special medical board formed by the government.
