Dhaka, Jan 12 – The High Court (HC) on Thursday rejected a petition filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking its order to re-record the testimony of 32 witnesses in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.A two-member HC bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan passed the order.
On December 5 last, Khaleda filed the revision petition with the HC challenging a lower court order that rejected the BNP chief’s petition to record statements again in the case.
She filed the petition with the trial court saying that the witnesses were not sworn in according to a Supreme Court (SC) circular published in 2009.
However on December 7, a bench of the HC felt embarrassed to conduct hearing on the petition and sent the documents of the case to the Chief Justice (CJ).
Following this, the CJ formed a bench led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim to hold hearing on the petition.
The court also asked the registrar general of the SC and the Law secretary to ensure the appropriate use of the relevant law published in the SC circular, said Khaleda’s lawyer M Badruddoza.
Now, Khaleda will move to the SC challenging the HC order, said Badruddoza.
Lawyer AJ Mohhamad Ali, M Badruddoza and Ragib Rouf Chowdhury stood for the BNP chairperson while lawyer Kurshid Alam argued for the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).
August 8, 2010, the ACC 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 an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on 16 January 2012.
The trail proceeding of Zia Charitable Graft Case is underway at the Special Judge Court-3 of Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar, set up on the premises of Alia Madrasa in the capital’s Bakshibazar. – UNB
