A Dhaka court on Monday adjourned the hearing of Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and others till August 10.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-3 fixed the new date after Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain completed the cross examination of complainant, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Harun-Or-Rashid. All other accused of the case were present in the court during the hearing.Meanwhile, hearing on the time petitions of two other accused, Monirul Islam Munna and Ziaul Islam Khan, the court fixed
August 10 for the cross examination of complainant Harun-Or-Rashid.
Besides, responding to another time petition filed by Begum Khaleda Zia’s lawyers, the
court fixed the same date for next hearing on the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Khaleda Zia reached the make shift court set up at the playground of Government Alia Madrasa in the capital’s Bakshibazar area, adjacent to Dhaka central jail directorate at 10:20 am while the court begun its process at 10:40 am. Later, Khaleda Zia left the area after hearing of the cases at about 1:30 pm.
On June 23, the Special Judge’s Court-3 adjourned the hearing of the two graft cases against Khaleda Zia till August 3.
On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station against four people, including Khaleda Zia for abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources. Other three accused of the case are Khaleda Zia’s former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his assistant private secretary Ziaul Islam Munna and former combined Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
ACC Deputy Director Harun-Or-Rashid, who is also an Investigation Officer of
the case, submitted the charge sheet of the case against the accused on January 16, 2012.
Besides, the ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK after securing bail, and four others for misappropriating more than Tk 2.10 crore, which came as grants for orphans from a foreign bank. Four other accused are Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Mominur Rahman, Khaleda Zia’s former Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed. – Special Correspondent
