Veteran Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna, also the Chairperson of ‘Ain O Salish Kendra’ has expressed his willingness to defend Sheikh Hasina in legal battles if given the opportunity.
"I have always stood for the oppressed, no matter who they are. Sheikh Hasina is a victim of political persecution," he said while talking to reporters at the court premises on Thursday (November 21).
"I am willing to stand for Sheikh Hasina in the tribunal and provide her legal support," Panna said, adding that the former prime minister, now reportedly in exile, has been subjected to unprecedented mass lawsuits and political oppression.
Referring to the rise in mass lawsuits, he commented, "Earlier, we witnessed mass arrests; now, it is mass lawsuits. These cases follow a similar script – victims are claimed to have lost eyes, and legs, or sustained bullet injuries – leading to charges against hundreds. This scale of fabricated cases is unimaginable."
Panna also noted that he had once been a victim of such political repression.
On elections, he cited a recent statement by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, where Yunus remarked that he would leave office after holding fair elections.
"Whether spoken out of regret or frustration, what he said is true. This interim government's sole responsibility is to ensure a credible election and transfer power democratically," Panna said.
ZI Khan Panna was talking to reporters after the Appellate Division suspended the bail granted to former additional attorney general Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury in a case related to killings during the July-August uprising.
During a hearing this morning, an Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, halted the six-month bail granted by the High Court to Mehedi.
Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman and Additional Attorney General Barrister Anik R Haque represented the state, while ZI Khan Panna appeared for the accused.
Previously, on 19 November, a High Court bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty and Justice AKM Zahirul Haque granted Mehedi bail in the case.
Mehedi, who resigned from his position on 8 August, was arrested on 20 September while attempting to flee the country via a border route.
