HC scraps sedition case against Tarique, violence case against Khaleda Zia

The High Court today scrapped the trial proceedings of a sedition case against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, ETV chairman Abdus Salam and two others.
The HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain delivered the verdict after holding a hearing petition filed by Abdus Salam seeking to quash the trial proceedings of the case.
The case was filed with Tejgaon Police Station against Tarique, Salam and several other unknown persons on charges of broadcasting a “false, fabricated, and provocative” speech given by BNP leader Tarique on January 5, 2015.
Following the same petition, the HC in 2017 stayed the trial proceedings of the case and issued a rule asking the state to explain why the proceedings should not be quashed.
Advocate Mohammad Siddique Ullah Miah, a lawyer for the petitioner, told The Daily Star that the HC scrapped the trial proceedings of the case as there is no ingredient of sedition in the case.
The HC bench today also quashed another violence case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
It delivered the judgement following a petition filed by the former prime minister in 2017 seeking to scrap the case.
The case was filed with Darus Salam Police Station in Dhaka during the political movement against Sheikh Hasina-led government in 2015.
On October 30, the same HC bench scrapped 11 criminal cases against Khaleda Zia.
A section of pro-BNP lawyers including Zainul Abedin, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim, Kayser Kamal, Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal, Siddique Ullah Miah, Maksud Ullah and Shanjid Siddique appeared for Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman while Deputy Attorney General Jashim Uddin Sarker represented the state during hearing of the petitions.