A Dhaka court on Monday deferred until May 21 the start of trial against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and others in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
Judge Basudev Roy of the Special Judge Court-3 fixed the date anew following a time petition filed by the defence lawyers.
Khaleda’s lawyers filed the time petition with the court saying that a revision petition is pending with the High Court seeking to quash the trial court indictment orders against the BNP chief in the two graft cases.
After hearing the petition, the court re-fixed May 21 for starting the trial with the recording of evidence of the prosecution witnesses in case of failure by the defence to submit the High Court order on the day.
Meanwhile, an HC bench comprising Justice Borhanuddin and Justice KM Kamrul Kader is set to deliver its order on Wednesday on the revision petition filed by Khaleda Zia.
On April 13, Khaleda Zia filed the revision appeal with the High Court seeking to quash the lower court indictment orders against her in the two graft cases.
She also sought a stay order on the further trial court proceedings.
On March 19, the Special Judge Court-3 framed charges against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, its senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and seven others rejecting their time petition in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
The court also set April 21 for starting the trial in the two cases.
The charge-framing hearing in the two cases had been adjourned 50 times in the last two years, according to the counsel for the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).
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 Tk 2.10 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: UNB Connect