Lawyers slam ‘false’ case against ZI Khan Panna

Recently an attempt to murder case was filed against Supreme Court senior lawyer Zahirul Islam (ZI) Khan Panna. However, he was granted anticipatory bail from the High Court on October 22 in the case which was filed at the capital's Khilgaon police station on October 17. However, pro-BNP, pro-Awami League and pro-Jamaat lawyers of the Supreme Court reacted angrily to the case against the valiant freedom fighter ZI Khan Panna. According to them, the case in which lawyer ZI Khan Panna has been made an accused is deliberate.

BNP Legal Affairs Secretary and Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Kaiser Kamal told View Bangladesh, "I am shocked that lawyer ZI Khan Panna has been accused in an attempt to murder case. I think he is not involved in the incident which took place two months ago. He was framed on purpose. It is very sad that a lawyer with a clean image like him is harassed like this. I hope he will soon be acquitted from all the charges.

Barrister Nasir Uddin Asim, BNP's Legal Affairs Secretary and Supreme Court Lawyer, told View Bangladesh in this regard, "I hope that 'gayebi mamla' against the people of opposing opinion filed during Awami government regime will not continue anymore." Lawyer ZI Khan Panna is a valiant freedom fighter. He is known as an honest and decent man in the Supreme Court. It is very painful to see to file a case has been filed against him.

He further added that, "A group of lawyers applied to the High Court on July 29 for an order to stop firing on students during the quota reform movement." One of them was ZI Khan Panna. He was also a member of the National Commission of Inquiry formed on July 29 by citizens' initiative to conduct a fair investigation into the attack on students. And now he is accused in a case made during the movement. It should not have been done at all.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Manzil Morshed told View Bangladesh, "Senior lawyer ZI Khan Panna has been accused in an attempt to murder case intentionally. Lawyers are angry and saddened regarding the incident. If someone like him is accused in this way, the whole case becomes questionable.

International Criminal Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told View Bangladesh, "Senior Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna should not have been charged with attempted murder." The incident was two months ago and he stood in court on behalf of the students who participated in the anti-discrimination student movement.

Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman told View Bangladesh, "Lawyer ZI Khan Panna has been accused in the attempted murder case out of enthusiasm. He has already got bail from the High Court. His bail will remain until the charge sheet is filed in the case. During the hearing in the High Court, no objection was raised by the state to his bail.

In the case filed at the Khilgaon police station of the capital on October 17, the senior lawyer of the Supreme Court, valiant freedom fighter ZI Khan Panna, was accused in the case of trying to kill a person named Ahadul Islam during the July 19 student-led movement.

Ahadul's father, the plaintiff in the case Md Baker, however, later told the local media outlets that he did not know lawyer ZI Khan Panna. After that, the plaintiff's lawyer applied to remove Panna's name from the case.