Dhaka, Oct 29 (Just News): The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal of jailed Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia challenging the High Court Division’ order that earlier asked the trial court to continue her trial in the Zia Charitable Trust case in her absence from the courtroom.
The order passed by seven-judge Appellate Division bench chaired by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain paved the way for the trial court to deliver the verdict scheduled for today in the case without hearing arguments from lawyers.
Later Khaleda Zia’s lawyers told reporters that the former prime minister did not get justice from the highest court although there was no precedence of trial in absence of a detained accused on the appeal from the prosecution.
The prosecution suggested the court to hold the trial in absence of Khaleda Zia on the basis of the jail authority’s misleading report that she was ‘intentionally unwilling’ to appear before the court.
Her lawyer Mohammad Ali argued that Khaleda Zia could not attend the hearings for two consecutive days on October 12 and 13 because of her ‘physical illness.
Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Khurshed Alam Khan argued that the hearing of defence arguments had been pending since February 25 and could not be held because of Khaleda’s ‘deliberate absence.’
Khaleda Zia was shifted to the Bangabndhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital from the Old Dhaka Central Jail, in which she had been the lone prisoner since February 8.
(Just News/ys/1300hr)
