Hearing on Zia trust graft cases adjourned till August 10

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia appears in a special court at Bakshibazar in old town of Dhaka on Monday in two graft cases.  — New Age photo

A court on Monday adjourned till August 10 for the next hearing on Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 fixed the date after Khaleda’s lawyer Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain completed the cross examination of the complainant’s witnesses during Monday’s hearing on the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
However, responding to a time petition b two other accused in the case – Monirul Islam Munna and Ziaul Islam Khan – the court fixed August 10 for the cross examination of the complainant’s witnesses.
Meanwhile, responding to a time petition by Khaleda’s lawyers, the court fixed the same date for the next hearing on the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against her.
Khaleda reached the parade ground of the Dhaka central jail directorate court site at Bakshibazar area around 10:30am and left the area after the hearing around 1:30pm on Monday.
Earlier on June 23, the Special Judge’s Court-3 adjourned till August 3 the hearing on the two graft cases against Khaleda in her presence.
On August 8, 2011, 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 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 over Tk2.10 crore which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.
On August 5, 2010, Harunur Rashid submitted a charge-sheet to the court in the case against six people, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Source: New Age