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Stay united, talk to senior counsels

Khaleda tells lawyers visiting her in jail

Staff Correspondent
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has asked her lawyers to maintain unity and move the cases filed against her in consultation with all the senior counsels.
The former premier also expressed concerns as her bail was stayed by the Supreme Court.
"How [did ] the Supreme Court grant the leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission against the High Court's bail order! ” quoting Khaleda, advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain told The Daily Star.
A delegation of six lawyers went to the old central jail on Nazimuddin Road to meet Khaleda. They spent around half an hour there and talked with her about legal issues.
The lawyers are Jamiruddin Sircar, Abdur Rezak Khan, advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, AJ Mohammad Ali, President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Joynul Abedin and General Secretary
Mahbub Uddin Khokon.
Khandker Mahbub said the SC bar election result cheered up the former premier, who asked the lawyers to maintain unity in the coming days.
"She asked us to maintain unity and move the cases forward in consultation with all the senior lawyers. We have informed her that we are moving the cases unitedly," he added.
Mahbub Uddin Khokon told journalists that Khaleda wanted to know why she was denied bail.
BNP standing committee member Jamiruddin Sircar told journalists that the morale of the former premier is very high and strong.
Khaleda landed in jail after a Dhaka court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8.
Her eldest son and BNP's Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and four others were also given 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of Tk 2.1 crore each in the politically significant case ahead of the next parliamentary election.
The ACC has meanwhile filed an appeal with the HC challenging what it said was inadequate sentence handed down to Khaleda by the lower court.
The ACC yesterday submitted the appeal to the HC officer concerned, saying that the five other convicts of the same case have been sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.
But the lower court sentenced Khaleda, the principal accused in the case, to only five years' imprisonment which was inadequate, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.
The ACC in the appeal prayed to the HC to increase the sentence, he added, saying they would place the appeal before the HC on Wednesday for hearing.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday adjourned till April 26 the hearing on charge framing in the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case against Khaleda.
The BNP chief was not produced before the court yesterday in connec-
tion with the case.
The ACC on February 26, 2008 filed a case against the BNP chairperson and 15 others on charge of graft in awarding the Barapukuria coal mine operation contract to a Chinese company.
APPOINTING CARLILE IS SAD
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq yesterday said appointing Lord Carlile, who provided legal help to Jamaat leaders convicted of committing war crimes in 1971, as the counsel of the BNP chairperson is sad.
"Lord Carlile, who has been appointed as her lawyer, had given negative statements regarding our International Crimes Tribunal. He had provided legal aid to Jamaat leaders. It is sad that they have appointed such a person as her lawyer," he observed.
The minister came up with the observations while talking to reporters after coming out of his meeting with foreign diplomats at his Secretariat office, reports BSS.
"People actually expect such things from BNP. Special prayer was offered for the war criminals [during a) BNP meeting. They have proved time and again that they do not believe in an independent Bangladesh," Anisul added.