Dhaka court scraps 2015 case against Khaleda Zia over death of 42 people during BNP’s blockade

 Dhaka: A court here has scrapped a case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia and three others over the death of 42 people across the country during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s blockade programme and general strikes in 2015.

 Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman passed the order on Thursday, accepting a police report filed in this regard, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.

 The three other accused in the case were BNP standing committee member Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University late Professor Emajuddin Ahamed and former adviser to BNP chairperson Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury.

 The case was filed with the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court by AB Siddique, president of Jananetri Parishad, on February 2, 2015. The court later ordered Gulshan Police Station to file a report.

 On September 21 this year, the investigating officer submitted his report saying allegations brought against the accused were not found to be true.

 Last month, the 79-year-old BNP chairperson was acquitted in five separate cases, including one filed over allegations of celebrating a “fake birthday” and another for supporting war criminals.

 Zia was under house arrest for the past five years and returned to her home from the hospital as a free person following a presidential pardon in August.

 She was acquitted of all charges against her following the fall of the Awami League government led by her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina on August 5.

Zia served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006.