Khaleda appeals against HC order in graft cases

Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court decision that rejected her two petitions in two corruption cases.

On June 19, the High Court rejected Khaleda Zia’s writ petitions challenging the appointment of Dhaka’s Special Judge Basudev Roy.

Earlier, an HC bench gave split orders on the petitions on May 25.

Justice Farah Mahbub halted the trial proceedings for three months in two graft cases while Justice Kazi Ejarul Haque Akondo, the other judge, summarily rejected her petitions filed on May 12.

Zia Charitable Trust graft case

On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon police station accusing four, including Khaleda, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

ACC Deputy Director Harun-ur Rashid, the investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012.

The others accused are Khaleda Zia’s former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his former assistant personal secretary Ziaul Islam Munna and Manirul Islam Khan, former personal secretary of BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

Of them, Harris Chowdhury has been staying abroad since 2007. He was mentioned as an “absconding accused” in the charge sheet, while Ziaul and Monirul are now on bail.

Zia Orphanage Trust graft case

The ACC filed the case with the Ramna police station on July 3, 2008, accusing Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk2.10 crore, which came as “grants” from a foreign bank.

The others accused are Mominur Rahman, nephew of late president Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda’s former Principal Secretary Dr Kamaluddin Siddique, and former BNP lawmakers Kazi Salimul Haque and Sharfuddin Ahmed.

ACC Deputy Director Harun-ur Rashid submitted a charge sheet on the case on August 5, 2010.

Source: Dhaka Tribune