Senior lawyer Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, counsel for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, on Thursday said that the BNP chief is likely to appear before the trial court on Sunday in connection with the two graft case hearing if her security is ensured.
Earlier, on March 3, the chief counsel of the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had set ‘security assurance’ as a condition for her to attend court hearings on March 4.
However, Khaleda Zia did not appear before the court on March 4 and the court deferred till April 5 witnesses’ depositions in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, who is also Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and adviser to the BNP chief Khaleda Zia, said at a press briefing that the BNP Chairperson would appear before the trial court, if the government would ensure foolproof security for her.
“She is respectful of the law and she is keen to appear before the court during the hearing. But miscreants attacked her car and other BNP leaders last time on December 24,” Hossain said.
Referring his previous statement, the SCBA president also said that they have said earlier that security concerns were the reasons for her (BNP chief) not going to court as her vehicle was attacked last time she went to the court for hearing.
He said that the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia as well as the lawyers were concerned that she might be attacked again. If Khaleda Zia is assured of security on the way to and from court then she will definitely appear before the trial court, he said adding that it is the government’s duty to ensure proper security for the BNP chief.
Hossain also said that the BNP chief is not on the run, she is confined to her office. She has not done any corruption in setting up of Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust. The cases were filed against her on charge of corruption to harass her politically, he added.
Khaleda last attended trial proceedings on December 24, the day clashes broke out between police, supporters of the BNP, and supporters of the ruling Awami League in the Bakshibazar area of the capital.
On January 15 this year, Khaleda had filed a no-confidence petition before the related branch of the HC expressing apprehensions that she would not get justice from Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the Special Judge Court-3 since he had rejected two of her adjournment prayers on January 7.
On February 25, Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka issued an arrest warrant against Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and another accused in the twin graft cases for not appearing before the court.
While in detention, she was accused in four corruption cases, including the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission on July 3, 2008.
The Special Judge’s Court-3 issued warrants for Khaleda’s arrest in the ACC filed Orphanage case and Zia Charitable Trust graft case filed on Aug 8, 2011.
On August 8, 2011, the ACC had filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the Trust from unknown sources. ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid, also the Investigating Officer in the case, submitted the chargesheet against the accused on January 16, 2012.
The ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 accusing Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore, which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans. The chargesheet was filed in the court on Aug 5, 2010
A Dhaka court earlier issued a search warrant for Khaleda’s Gulshan office, where she has been residing since January 3, to search it for explosives and a communication device that police claim Khaleda is using to coordinate the countrywide sabotage.
However, police is yet to execute the search warrant in her office. – Staff Reporter
