Dhaka High Court on Thursday imposed a gag order on media coverage on court proceedings in connection with the hearing on a petition seeking to quash a graft charge against opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman.
Lawyers familiar with the situation preferring anonymity said a two-member vacation bench of the High Court passed the order following arguments and counter arguments between judges AFM Abdur Rahman and Rezaul Hasan and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on the petition.
The court, however, refrained from giving any decision on the petition while the lawyers said the matter was now likely to be referred to the chief justice, who might sent it to another bench for hearing as Zia's lawyers reportedly took back the petition.
Attorney General and Zia's main counsel Raqfiq-ul Haque, however, declined to comment on the court order regarding the order on preventing media from covering it.
The development came as a Dhaka court last week accepted the graft charge against the former prime minister as she appeared in person before the trial judge Bashirullah.
Bashirullah set October 25 for indictment hearing against Zia and five other defendants including Tarique Rahman for embezzling over Taka 2.10 crore for an orphanage trust, "which exists only in papers".
{{/usCountry}}Bashirullah set October 25 for indictment hearing against Zia and five other defendants including Tarique Rahman for embezzling over Taka 2.10 crore for an orphanage trust, "which exists only in papers".
{{/usCountry}}The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) last month pressed a fresh charge against Zia and her elder son.