The top court has turned down a plea by BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s counsel seeking a short order of Wednesday’s verdict upholding bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Amid counsel AJ Mohammad Ali insisting on it, a visibly annoyed chief justice told him: “We do not consider any group for passing order.”
After the court upheld Khaleda’s bail granted by the High Court, Ali pleaded to the court that a short-order would require for filing the bail bond in the lower court.
“The Supreme Court today upheld the High Court bail order for Khaleda. If she cannot get out of jail due to lack of a copy of order, it will be illegal detention”.
The court replied that the Appellate Division does not release any short orders for its verdict, saying the full judgment will be released soon.
At one stage, Ali told the court he did not appear before the court “with a group”. It’s then when Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain said, “We don’t pass any order by considering any group.”
Then Chief Justice Mahmud Hossian said: “We don’t pass any order by considering any group.”
Justice Mirza Hussain Haider, a member of the four-strong bench, said Ali’s observation was seriously objectionable. “You have forced us to react.”
AJ Mohammad Ali said, “The court can react, but the court does not allow us to react”. He was insisting the court for releasing a short order.
Then, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique asked AJ Mohammad Ali why he was arguing with the chief justice as the chief justice had already refused to release any short order.