Charge hearing in 2 cases against Khaleda deferred to Apr 5

Khaleda Zia under medical treatment

A Dhaka court on Thursday set April 5 for hearing on charge framing in two cases, filed against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Of the cases, one was filed for observing fake birthday on National Mourning Day and another for stigmatizing the War of Liberation.

Earlier, March 16 was fixed for indictment hearing in the two cases, but Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Noor of Dhaka CMM Court reset the new date, allowing a time plea of the defense.

Khaleda Zia’s counsel Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder filed the time petition, saying that his client could not appear in the court due to her illness.

Journalist Gazi Jahirul Islam lodged the fake birthday case against Khaleda Zia on August 30, 2016.

According to the complainant, Khaleda Zia, from 1996, was celebrating her fake birthday on August 15, the day when Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was martyred along with most of his family members. She was allegedly doing this on purpose of only to dishonour the Father of the Nation.

The complainant also submitted copies of different newspaper reports on Khaleda Zia’s birthday, copies of her passport, marriage certificate and mark sheets, which indicates August 15 is not her birthday in anyway.

Jananetri Parishad President AB Siddiqui filed the other case on November 3, 2016, against Khaleda Zia and her late husband Ziaur Rahman for stigmatizing the War of Liberation by rehabilitating some anti- Liberation War elements.

The BNP Chief is on bail in both the cases as Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayesh granted her bail on July 31, 2018. - Special Correspondent