The Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka on Thursday directed BNP Chief Begum Khaleda Zia to appear to the court on August 31 to make statement for her self-defence in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the court fixed the date at his makeshift set up on the playground of Govt Alia Madrasa in the old city’s Bakshibazar area, following a time-petition filed by Khaleda’s counsel Sanaullah Miah.
Meanwhile, Sanaullah Miah told media men that the time-petition was lodged as the leave-to-appeal petition challenging the legality of a High Court order remains pending with apex court and Khaleda could not appear in the court due to illness.
On May 31, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed two leave-to-appeal petitions with the Appellate Division against a High Court order that rejected her two revision petitions seeking cancellation of the lower court order rejecting her two petitions in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
The ACC on August 8, 2011 filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station against four people, including Khaleda Zia, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources ‘abusing power’. -Special Correspondent
