Khaleda Zia’s lawyers, AJ Mohammad Ali, has told a high court bench comprising justices, M. Enayetur Rahim and Mosatifzur Rahman, that the paper-book prepared for the appeal hearing the BNP chairperson’s release lacks a lot of information.
Earlier, lawyers of both sides came to court for the hearing. On behalf of Khaleda Zia, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, senior advocate Abdur Razzak Khan, advocate Zainul Abedin were present, whereas the state and Anti-Corruption Commission, ACC, were represented by attorney general Mahbubey Alam and advocate Khurshid Alam Khan respectively.
Before hearing, the issue of missing important papers was mentioned and an appeal made to be given the chance to obtain the needed documents.
Stating that the date for the appeal is on July 15, the court ordered the hearing to begin.
Later, Abdur Razzak Khan began by reading out the FIR and charge-sheet against Khaleda Zia. After hearing, the court adjourned, scheduling the bail hearing for Khaleda Zia, convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, for Jul 15, Sunday, at 2pm.
In this ongoing case, the court also extended Khaleda Zia’s bail till Jul 19.
Talking on the matter, barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman, member of Khaleda Zia’s legal panel, said: “all papers related to a case are usually in a paper-book, compiled by the relevant section of the high court and the attorney general’s office.”
We have received a paper-book on the Zia Orphanage Trust case but our senior legal counsel feels this does not include some vital documents, he added.
“We received a 12 thousand page paper-book on 25 May and did not have enough time to thoroughly assess it,” he remarked and added: “senior lawyer, AJ Mohammad Ali, feels that the book does not contain certain papers which may tilt the case in favour of Khaleda Zia.”
Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust case on 8 February; since then, she has been residing at the old central jail on Nazim Uddin Road.