Comilla arson case: Khaleda appeals for speedy disposition

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain today prayed to the High Court to direct the trial court concerned in Comilla to expeditiously hear and dispose of her bail petition in an arson case against her.

The case was filed under the Special Powers Act 1974 after seven people were killed and 25-26 others injured after a bus was torched in Comilla'sChouddagramupazila on February 2, 2015.

Another case was also filed bringing murder charge in connection with the same incident. Both the cases [one for murder and another under the Special Powers Act] were filed with Chouddagram Police Station on February 3, 2015.

Advocate KhandkerMahbub placed the prayer before the HC bench of Justice MdShawkat Hossain and Justice Abu TaherMdSaifur Rahman, saying that a tribunal in Comilla has kept the bail petition of Khaleda Zia pending for a long time without granting her bail in the arson case.

He cited the observations made by another bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim in another bail petition of Khaleda in a case filed in charge of observing “fake birthday”.

The bench led by Justice Enayetur Rahim has ordered the magistrate concerned to dispose of the application for issuance of the production warrant filed by the accused petitioner (Khaleda) as well as the prayer for bail, which was kept with the record, expeditiously.

The magistrate concerned should bear in mind that in a complaint case like the instant one there is no necessity for the court to wait for the execution report of the warrant of arrest where the accused has informed that she has already been incarcerated in connection with another case, the bench said in the order.

Today, the HC bench led by Justice Shawkat Hossain adjourned till June 10 the hearing on the bail petition of Khaleda in the arson case of Comilla after Attorney General MahbubeyAlam prayed for time for placing arguments against the bail petition.

On June 5,Khaleda, who stands accused in 34 cases, submitted the bail petition to the HC through her lawyer, saying that her name was not in the first information report of the case lodged under the Special Powers Act and there was no specific allegation against her client in the case.

In the petition, she prayed to the HC to grant her bail on the grounds that she was aged and sick, and many other accused in the case already got bail from the court, Masud Rana, who submitted the petition on behalf of Khaleda, told The Daily Star.

Thirty-one, out of the 78 accused, in the case were on bail, while the rest were on the run. Only Khaleda has been shown arrested in the case, he said.