DHAKA: The High Court on Sunday passed split order on BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s writ challenging appointment of a judge, who framed charges against her in Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

An HC bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Quazi Izarul Haque passed the split order.

Senior judge Farah Mahbub stayed the proceedings of the cases for three months and issued a rule upon the government asking why the appointment should not be declared illegal.

Apart from this, junior judge Justice Izarul Haque rejected the plea of Khaleda giving some observations.

Now the writ will be sent to the Chief Justice. He will form a third bench and the hearing will be held in that bench.

On March 19, Judge of the Special Judge’s Court-3 Bashudev Roy framed charges against Khaleda, her son BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and seven others in the corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Khaleda submitted two separate writ petitions on May 12 praying to the HC to declare illegal the appointment of the judge.

BDST: 1555 HRS, MAY 25, 2014