Court Correspondent
A Dhaka court on Sunday deferred the hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and others in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
Judge-in-Charge Md Rezaul Karim of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-3 passed the order in response to a time petition filed by Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Zoinal Abedin Mesba. He fixed February 16, as next date of the two cases.
The petition submitted on behalf of Khaleda Zia sought time as she could not appear before the court due to lack of security, after withdrawal of her protocol as opposition leader.
On August 8, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four persons including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008, with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore which came as grants from a foreign bank for the orphans.
