4 arson cases against Khaleda Zia stayed

The High Court on Thursday stayed the trial against opposition leader and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in four separate vandalism and arson cases.

The court also issued four separate rulings asking the government to explain why the proceedings should not be scrapped, the Daily Star reported.

A High Court bench of Justice Md Miftah Uddin Choudhury and Justice ANM Bashir Ullah passed the order after hearing four separate petitions by Khaleda seeking to stay the proceedings.

After the BNP was prevented from holding a rally on January 5, 2015 to protest the anniversary of the 10th Bangladesh parliamentary elections, Khaleda called a nationwide blockade, bdnews24.com reported.

In the course of the blockade that lasted 90 days, vehicles and buildings were fire-bombed, leading to almost 150 deaths.

The former Prime Minister was named in several of those cases on charges of inciting violence.

Among the four cases, three were filed with Darussalam Police Station and another case was filed with Jatrabari Police Station in 2015 during anti-government agitation enforced by Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance.

Trial courts later took cognisance of the charges of the cases after police submitted chargesheets to the court.

--IANS

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