The High Court on Tuesday summoned the case documents of a trial that has been stuck in limbo for the past 17 years.
Filed in 2002 against defendant Rabeya Khatun and two others for possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition, the trial court judge is yet to pronounce a verdict in the case.
The trial court judge overseeing the case has been given two weeks to respond to the ruling issued by the High Court—asking why this delay in legal proceedings should not be declared illegal.
The court also stayed all trial proceedings of the case for the next three months.
The High Court bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan issued the ruling after hearing a writ petition filed by Advocate Ashraful Alam Nobel.
The bench fixed May 12 as the next date for hearing the petition.
Nobel filed the writ petition, attaching a recently published article in The Daily Samakal with the headline: "How many more days will she roam the courts?"
In the article published on Thursday, Rabeya told reporters that she has been appearing in court since 2002, but the judge has not yet reached a verdict.
"I do not know when it will be over... the court neither acquits me nor convicts me," she said.
According to Rabeya's defence lawyer, she is currently 80 years old.
On June 2, 2002, police field a case with Tejgaon police station accusing Rabeya, Julhash and Masud of possessing an illegal firearm and six bullets.
Following this, Rabeya was arrested and imprisoned for six months. Later on March 24, 2003, police submitted a charge sheet against Rabeya and the two other accused.
Rabeya claims to be innocent of the charges brought against her.
