Court stays four arson cases against ex-Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia

Court also issued 4 separate rulings asking govt to explain why proceedings shouldn't be scrapped

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Thursday heaved a sigh of relief as the High Court stayed the trial against her in four separate vandalism and arson cases.

The order came after the court heard the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson's petition challenging the trial court's cognisance of the charge sheet by police.

Justice Miftah Uddin Choudhury and Justice ANM Bashir Ullah passed the order after hearing four separate petitions by 71-year-old Khaleda seeking to stay the proceedings.

The court also issued four separate rulings asking the government to explain why the proceedings should not be scrapped, a local media report said.

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

In the course of the blockade that lasted 90 days, vehicles and buildings were fire-bombed, leading to almost 150 deaths, bdnews24.Com reported.

Khaleda 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 BNP-led alliance.

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

Khaleda recently filed four petitions with the High Court challenging the legality of the trial proceedings on the cases.