The High Court has scrapped proceedings of separate cases filed against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
The High Court bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain issued the orders on Thursday, declaring ‘absolute’ two separate rules issued earlier over the cases.
The court scrapped a subversion case which was filed against Khaleda Zia with Darus Salam Police Station in the capital, allowing the plea filed by her lawyers.
Senior lawyers Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Barrister Nasir Uddin Ashim, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Barrister Ragib Rouf
Chowdhury and Advocate Gazi Kamrul Islam Sazal took part in the hearing for the BNP chief.
The same court canceled the proceedings of a sedition case filed against Tarique Rahman and Ekushey Television chairman Abdus Salam and two others.
Senior lawyer of Bangladesh Supreme Court Advocate Shahdeen Malik stood for Abdus Salam in the court.
Tarique Rahman was represented in court by lawyers Zainul Abedin, Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Ruhul Quddus Kazal and Kayser Kamal.
The court found no basis for the case, relieving all four defendants from the charges, said Kayser Kamal.
On January 5 in 2015, a statement of Tarique Rahman was aired live on Ekushey TV. Police sought permission from the Home Ministry to file a sedition case against Tarique Rahman on the following day.
On June 8, sub-inspector of Tejgaon Police Station Borhan Uddin filed the case against Tarique and Abdus Salam for broadcasting the BNP leader’s speech from London.
On September 6 in 2017, police filed charge-sheet in the case, adding names of then Ekushey Television chief reporter Mahathir Faruki Khan and senior reporter Kanak Sarwar in the case.
The High Court in 2017 issued a rule after holding hearing on a plea filed for canceling the case.
According to the case statement, Tarique Rahman in collusion with others were involved in publishing false and fabricated information, posing threat to the sovereignty of the country and creating hatred against the government.
On October 30, the same HC bench scrapped 11 criminal cases against Khaleda Zia.
