HC delivers split orders on Khaleda's petitions

A High Court bench on Sunday delivered split orders on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia's petitions seeking status quo on two graft cases and challenging appointment of a trial court judge. 

The bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Izaharul Haque Akhand gave the orders. 

Dhaka special judge-3 Bashudev Roy on March 19, 2014, framed charges against Khaleda Zia and eight others in Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases. 

Khaleda launched separate petitions on May 12 challenging the indictment and the appointment of the judge. She also sought status quo on the cases proceedings. 

Senior Justice Farah Mabub in his order on Sunday stayed the proceedings of the cases for three months and issued a rule on the government to explain why the appointment of Bashudeb Roy should not be declared illegal. 

The junior member of the bench, Justice Kazi Md Izaharul Haque Akhand just rejected the petitions of Khaleda Zia.

Law experts say now the issue will be forwarded to the chief justice who will later ask another bench to resolve the differences in orders.

Attorney general Mahbubey Alam and deputy attorney general Amatul Karim appeared for the state and Khurshid Alam Khan for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), while former attorney general AJ Muhammad Ali and advocate Md Asaduzzaman stood for Khaleda Zia.