A High Court bench yesterday expressed dissatisfaction with the lawyers representing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as they did not appear before it on time for placing arguments on her appeal against the trial court verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

The lawyers for Khaleda did not even appear before the court or submit any written arguments on her appeal despite having asked the court for time to do so, the HC bench said.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman also said the lawyers appeared before them on time to ask for an extension of Khaleda's bail in the case.

Justice Eanayetur said they have a time limit to conclude the hearing of the appeal as the Supreme Court Appellate Division had asked them to dispose of it by October 31.

Lawyer AJ Mohamad Ali, who argued for Khaleda, did not respond to the dissatisfaction expressed by the HC bench, Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

Khaleda filed the appeal challenging the trial court verdict that sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

The court fixed 10:30am today (Wednesday) for resuming the hearing on the appeal.

Khaleda has been in jail since she was sentenced on February 8.

Yesterday, another HC bench

comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman started hearing a revision petition filed by the BNP chairperson seeking a stay on the proceedings against her in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

The bench also fixed today for resuming the hearing.

Khaleda filed the revision petition with the HC on September 27 challenging the legality of a trial court decision to continue the proceedings of the case in her absence.

In the petition, she prayed to issue a rule on the ACC and the government to explain why the lower court's decision should not be scrapped.

On September 20, a Dhaka court decided to continue the trial of the case inside Old Dhaka Central Jail in her absence.