Politics
30 cases against Khaleda Zia since 2009.

30 cases against Khaleda Zia since 2009

Politics

BD Correspondent: Since 2009, the Awami League led government filed at least 30 cases against former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Before AL’s two consecutive terms began, four cases were filed by the army backed caretaker regime during its two-year rule spanning 2007 and 2008.

The incumbent AL regime of filed most of the 30 cases against Khaleda Zia in 2015 and 2016, during the 2nd consecutive term Sheikh Hasina bagged through the controversial January 5, 2014 general election.

Khaleda in affidavits given to the Election Commission while dropping her nomination papers in the general election held in 2008 and also for the coming general election showed that the number of cases against her increased by 30 in last 10 years.

The AL regime filed at least 10 cases against Khaleda under the Special Powers Act 1974 while 20 other cases under the Explosive Substances Act 1908, the Corruption Prevention Act 1947 and the Penal Code.

Khaleda Zia’s appeals in four cases are pending with the High Court Division, seven cases are under trial by lower courts while 19 other cases against her were either stayed or are pending with courts, according Khaleda’s affidavit for this year’s general election.

Khaleda Zia has been in jail since February 8 to serve a five-year term handed by a special court in the Zia O phanage Trust case, her term was later enhanced to 10 years.

She is also serving another seven-year term handed by the same special court in the capital in Zia Charitable Trust case.

According to a study of Sushasoner Jonno Nagarik, at least 19 people were killed on January 5, 2014, when the general election was boycotted by most parties including BNP.

The study shows that in the 41-day run up to January 4, 2014, the eve of the polls since the EC declared the polls schedule at least 123 people were killed in electoral violence.