DHAKA: British lawyer Lord Carlile of Berriew QC was added to the lawyers’ panel of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is now behind the bars after being convicted in a corruption case.

“House of Lords member Lord Carlile was appointed necessarily and to extent the range of case against the leader (Khaleda) in international arena”, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.    

Fakhrul was addressing a press briefing at BNP central party office in Nayapaltan Tuesday morning (March 20).

“He (Carlile) will advise our lawyers from now on. Simultaneously, he will engage himself in overall case affairs. He will come to Bangladesh, if requires,” Fakhrul said.

“Khaleda Zia is sued in 36 cases. She has been convicted in false case which is unheard-of. In that context, the expatriate friends who are involved in Britain unit of BNP have appointed the reputed lawyer upon discussion with the lawyers there,” he added.

Alexander Charles Carlile, Baron Carlile of Berriew, CBE, QC, FRSA is a Crossbench member of the House of Lords. He has been described as one of Britain's top legal experts.

“Carlile will assist our lawyers to oversee whether the lawsuit against Khaleda are obeying general law and international human rights”, Fakhrul said further.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Advisor to the BNP Chairperson Abdus Salam were among others attended the press briefing.

However, A Dhaka special court sentenced Khaleda to five years’ imprisonment on February 8, in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. She was sent to jail on the same day.

BDST: 1449 HRS, MAR 20, 2018
SI/SMS