The High Court is likely to hear on Sunday a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking bail in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

The HC bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq asked Khaleda’s lawyers to come up on Sunday, saying the case will be kept on the regular cause list of the day.

Khaleda’s counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain placed the petition before the HC bench in the morning.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam was present there.

On Tuesday, the BNP chief filed the fresh petition with the High Court seeking bail in the case, citing illness.

It was mentioned in the petition that the BNP chairperson is seriously ill and she needs advanced treatment. “Khaleda is not getting proper treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). She wants to go to London for better treatment if she gets bail.”

On December 12, 2019, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court turned down the bail petition of Khaleda Zia in the graft case.

A special court jailed the BNP chief and three others for seven years in the corruption case on October 29, 2018.

On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust case with Tejgaon police against four people, including Khaleda. They were accused of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

The former prime minister has been in prison since February 8, 2018 after she was sentenced to jail for five years in a separate corruption case.

A tribunal here on Tuesday convicted a young man of violating a young girl in 2012 whereby she got pregnant and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The convict is identified as Sohel Gharami, 28, son of Ayub Ali Gharami of Tetulbaria village in Nalchiti upazila.

The tribunal also fined him Tk 20,000, in default, to suffer three months more in rigorous imprisonment.

It also asked the state to bear the expenses of the five-year-old child of the rape victim.

According to the prosecution, Sohel developed a relation with the then 15-year-old and violated her for several times on May 3, 2012 with a promise to marry her.

The incident came to light when the girl became four-month pregnant.

Later, the victims’ father filed a case with the court on September 17, 2012 when it asked the officer-in-charge of Nalchiti Police Station to submit a report within seven days.

On November 21, 2013, the court indicted Sohel in the case.

After examining records and witnesses, Judge of the Jhalakati Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2 Sheikh Tofael Hasan handed down the verdict.

A case has been filed against 12 people, including BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

AB Siddique, president of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, filed the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Dhiman Chandra Mondal on Tuesday noon.

The court fixed February 27 for passing its order.

The others accused include former Chhatra Dal leader Shahidur Rahman, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Md Afzal Hossain, Md Mujibur Rahman, Md Abdul Karim, Md Didarul Islam, Md Jakir Hossain, Md Abdul Halim and Rafiqul Islam.

According to the case statement, the accused detained Siddique from the city’s Mirpur on December 6. They asked him to withdraw all cases filed against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and all of their activists within seven days and threatened to kill him and the Prime Minster in grenade attacks like the August 21 one if otherwise.

Besides, at the order of Tarique Rahman, Shahidur Rahman threatened him and gave him indecent messages through Facebook from London.

A bill titled 'Gazipur Unnayan Kartripakkha Bill 2019' was placed in Parliament on Tuesday to turn the fast-growing Gazipur city into a planned, liveable and environment-friendly urban area.

State Minister for Public Works and Housing Sharif Ahmed placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee. The committee was asked to submit its report within 30 days.

Gazipur Unnayan Kartripakkha (Gazipur Development Authority-GDA) will be like Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Khulna Development Authority (KDA) and Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA).

The main job of the GDA will be to formulate mega plans for the city development and approve structural designs.

There will be a 22-member board headed by a chairman to run the GDA.

The GDA’s jurisdiction will be Gazipur City Corporation as well as its adjoining areas to be fixed by the government through issuing gazettes from time to time.

A court here on Monday deferred to March 18 the  charge framing hearing in Buet student Abrar Fahad murder case.

Metropolitan Session Judge KM Imrul Kayes passed the order after Abrar’s father Barkat Ullah filed a petition with the court for shifting the case to the Speedy Trial Tribunal, said Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu.

He also hoped that ministry concerned will publish a gazette notification in this regard soon.

On January 30, the same court fixed February 17 for charge framing hearing in the case.

25 people were made accused in the case and among them, 22 are behind bars while three are on the run.

Abrar Fahad, 21, a second-year student of electrical and electronic engineering of Buet, was beaten to death reportedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university.

He was found dead on the staircase of the hall in the early hours of October 7 after he was taken to room No-2011 on October 6 and beaten mercilessly.