HC stays sedition case against Khaleda

The High Court on Wednesday stayed the trial proceedings of a sedition case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for next six months. The case was filed against Khaleda for her comment on the number of Liberation War martyrs. A bench of Justice Md Miftah Uddin Choudhury and Justice ANM Bashir Ullah also issued a ruling asking the government and plaintiff to explain why the order of trial court for accepting the case should not be scrapped. The bench asked the respondents to come up with their explanation within four weeks. The sedition case was filed in January last year by a Supreme Court lawyer Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedi with the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court. It also sought arrest warrant against Khaleda Zia. BNP chairperson filed a petition challenging the legality of the trial proceedings against her in the case in January this year. The case was filed with the approval of Ministry of Home Affairs. On August 10, 2016, the court took the complaint in cognizance. April 10 was fixed for the further hearing. Khaleda is currently on bail in the case. On December 21 in 2015, Khaleda said there were doubts about whether three million people really got killed during the 1971 Liberation War. She also alleged that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted to become the prime minister of undivided Pakistan rather than leading the nation to independence. These comments sparked massive criticism. Lawyer Momtaz served a legal notice to the BNP chief asking her unconditional apology after two days of Khaleda’s comment. Later, Mehedi filed a plea with the Home Ministry seeking clearance to file a sedition case against Khaleda.