Khaleda Zia set to free from suit trap

Special Correspondent

Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was freed from house arrest on August 6, a day after her nemesis Sheikh Hasina quit as premier and fled, one more twist to the decades-old saga of the “Battle of the Begums” for control of Bangladesh.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin's office said that Khaleda Zia, chief of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had been freed after discussions with defence chiefs and politicians.

On the same day, she was acquitted from two corruption cases, got her passport back and she returned to her adorable residence ‘Firoza’ in the capital from hospital after a long time.

After that Khaleda Zia was acquitted from five defamation cases by the Dhaka’s CMM court of Dhaka on September 3. The process of acquitting her from 30 other pending cases in various courts has already started. BNP lawyers have expressed hope that she will be freed from these lawsuits very soon.

According to lawyers and court sources, at least 37 cases were filed against the BNP chairperson on charges of corruption, killing people by setting fire to vehicles, violence, defamation and vandalism from 2007 to 2016. Of these, five cases were filed against her during the previous caretaker government. Among the cases, Khaleda Zia was sentenced to 17 years in two corruption cases in 2018. The court dismissed a case as the allegations were not proved. Of these, seven have been acquitted. There are 30 more cases left.

Out of this, 19 cases are under trial in the judicial court and proceedings of 11 cases are suspended by order of the High Court. Although these cases are incomplete, she is on bail. Among the cases, six cases including GATCO, NAICO and Barapukuria coal mine corruption cases are under trial in Dhaka court.

Advisor to BNP Chairperson and former president of Dhaka Bar Association, Masud Ahmed Talukder said that the legal procedure has already been followed and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia will be exempted from these cases soon. These cases were filed for political purposes. Necessary steps for exemption will be taken on each due date.

The 79-year-old former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia is currently staying her Gulshan residence after being under treatment in the hospital for a long time. Her party leaders are taking various activities to send her abroad for better treatment very soon. Various discussions are going on in the political arena over her treatment in abroad.

Barrister Kaiser Kamal, legal affairs secretary of BNP, said that false and fake cases were filed against Khaleda Zia for political purposes during the fascist Awami League government. These cases will be dealt with in the legal process with due respect to the court.

Latest status of Khaleda Zia’s case

Darus Salam police station filed 11 cases against Khaleda Zia on charges of vandalizing vehicles, obstructing police work and vandalism in areas near Gabtali and Mirpur Mazar Road in the capital from January to March 2015. Although the cases are for trial in the special judge's court of Dhaka, the proceedings of the case have been suspended by the order of the High Court.

In January 2015, four cases were filed against Khaleda Zia at Jatrabari police station in connection with the arson, killing and injuries of four persons with petrol bombs. These cases are suspended by order of the High Court.

Three cases in Cumilla

On January 25, 2015, a covered van was set on fire and several nearby cars were vandalized in Chauddagram of Hyderpool on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. In this incident, two cases were filed with the Chauddagram police station under the Special Powers Act and on charges of sabotage. On February 14, 2017, a charge sheet was filed in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Cumilla in this case. A total of 32 people including Khaleda Zia were accused in this case. She is on bail from the High Court in two cases.

On February 2 of the same year, a petrol bomb was hurled at a bus on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Seven passengers died and 25-26 others were seriously injured in the incident. The day after this incident, SI Nuruzzaman of Chauddagram police station filed a case against 56 people as the plaintiff. Although the charge sheet has been filed in the court in this case, the trial has not yet started.

Proceedings of this case are adjourned by order of the High Court.

Apart from this, Khaleda Zia has not been able to appear in the court on the scheduled date of any case since 2019 due to illness, although the trial of six cases including NIKO, GATCO, Barapukuria coal mine corruption cases are ongoing in the lower court.

Advocate Syed Zainul Abedin Mejbah, Co-Legal Affairs Secretary of BNP, said that we are moving forward to quash these cases in criminal procedure and constitutional process. Discussions are going on with the government. He expressed hope that the government will take necessary legal steps to withdraw the cases very soon.

The Niko case

Khaleda Zia has been accused of causing a loss of about Tk 13,777 crores to the state by showing the abandonment of three gas fields by 'handing over' them to the Canadian company Niko. After the arrest of Khaleda Zia on December 9, 2007 during the caretaker government, ACC filed this case in Tejgaon police station. On May 5, 2008, the ACC issued a charge sheet against 11 people including Khaleda Zia. Currently, the case is under trial in Dhaka's No. 9 Special Judge Court.

GATCO corruption case

On September 2, 2007, the ACC filed a case with the Tejgaon police station against 13 people including Khaleda Zia on charges of corruption in the appointment of Global Agro Trade Company Limited (GATCO) as a contractor for the container handling of Dhaka's Kamalapur ICD and Chittagong Port. In the case, it is alleged that the state suffered a loss of Tk 14.56 crore appointing GATCO as a contractor. The case is under trial in Dhaka's No. 3 Special Judge Court. The next hearing date of the case is October 8.

Barapukuria coal mine corruption case

The case was filed on February 26, 2008 with the Shahbagh police station on allegations of irregularities in the appointment of contractors for mining, management and maintenance of coal from Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur and loss and embezzlement of Tk 158.71 crore to the state. On October 5 of that year, the ACC filed a charge sheet against 16 people, including Khaleda Zia. Currently, the case is under No-2 Special Judge Court of Dhaka. The next date of hearing of the case is set for Sept 25.