Court transfer: ACC can now place argument against Khaleda's plea

The High Court today permitted the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to become a party in the writ petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the government notification that said Niko corruption case trial against her will be held at a courtroom in Keraniganj Central Jail.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Md Khairul Alam gave the permission following a petition filed by the ACC in this regard.

The bench also fixed tomorrow for holding hearing on the writ petition.

ACC's lawyer Adv Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the commission got a scope to place arguments against the writ petition of Khaleda following the HC order.

On May 13, the law ministry issued the gazette notification, saying that trials of 17 criminal cases, including the Niko, against Khaleda would be held at a special court set up at building-2 of Keraniganj Central Jail for security reasons.

The trial in the Niko graft case was being held at a special court set up inside the old Dhaka central jail and the trials of the 16 other cases were taking place at a makeshift court at the Government Alia Madrasa in the capital’s Bakshibazar.

Khaleda landed in jail on February 8 last year after a Dhaka court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

On October 30 that year, the HC enhanced the punishment of Khaleda to 10 years’ imprisonment in this case.

A Dhaka court on October 29 last year convicted Khaleda and sentenced her to seven years’ imprisonment in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.