A Dhaka court on Tuesday deferred the hearing on framing of charges against BNP chief Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case to May 22.
Khaleda’s lawyer prayed for time as she did not show up citing ‘security reasons’ amid the 36-hour general strike called by her party-led opposition alliance.
Judge Md Zahurul Haque of the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate court granted the plea and fixed May 22 as the date of hearing.
The prosecution presented a copy of the newspaper advertisement on Khaleda’s former Political Secretary Harris Chowdhury, who has been absconding from the beginning of the case.
However, two other accused in the case – former director of BIWTA Ziaul Islam Munna, and Manirul Islam Khan, former personal secretary to Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka – were present at the hearing.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had filed a case on Aug 8, 2011 alleging abuse of power to raise funds for the Zia Charitable Trust from undeclared sources and committing financial irregularities in the purchase of land for it.
Charges were pressed against Khaleda and three others in January last year.
According to the case details, a 42-katha land was bought from one Suraiya Khanam for Tk 65.2 million for the trust in 2005 when Khaleda was the Prime Minister. Suraiya was also paid Tk 12.5 million in addition to the price of the land.
It said the anti-graft watchdog had found evidence of illegal transactions of around Tk 31.5 million, apart from the amount given to the land owner.
The court on Jan 15 accepted the chargesheet in presence of Khaleda.
Source: Bd news24