BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has appeared before the Dhaka Third Special Judge’s Court to provide defence statement in two cases , in which she stands accused of embezzlement of more than Tk 50 million from charitable trusts.
She left her home in Gulshan around 10:30am on Thursday and arrived at the temporary court’s premises around 11:30am.
The court is hearing both the Zia Charitable Trust and the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption cases.
Khaleda had begun her defence testimony in the Zia Charitable Trust at a hearing on Dec 1.
She pleaded not guilty to the charge of embezzlement of Tk 31.5 million from the trust and asked the court to ensure a fair trial.
At the request of Khaleda’s defence team, the court also ordered a second cross-examination of the 32nd and final witness to the case, the first case investigation officer and former ACC Associate Director Nur Uddin Ahmed.
Then, on Jan 26, the court set Feb 2 for Khaleda to complete her defence statement.
Though Jan 30 had been fixed as the date for Khaleda’s defence statement in the Zia Orphanage Trust trial, her lawyers petitioned for a reinvestigation of the case, leading to contentious debate.
The court of Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar granted a petition by the defence to postpone Khaleda’s defence statement in the case to Thursday.
The re-investigation petition is expected to be heard by the court.
Zia Orphanage Trust case
In 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against six including Khaleda and her son Tarique Rahman.
It alleged that the defendants had embezzled Tk 21 million from funds meant for the trust, which reportedly came from a foreign bank.
The ACC pressed charges against six persons in August 2009 and submitted the chargesheet to the court.
The two others accused in the case — former principal secretary to the PM Kamal Uddin Siddique and one Maminur Rahman, nephew of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, are absconding.
The trial began in March 2014 after the court indicted the six.
Zia Charitable Trust case
The case over the illegal transaction of nearly Tk 31.55 million under way at Dhaka’s Third Special Judge’s Court started in 2010.
Investigation Officer Harun Ur Rashid filed the chargesheet against Khaleda Zia and three others at the court on Jan 16, 2012. The four were indicted on Mar 19 of that year.
The others accused in the case are Khaleda’s former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, former personal assistant Ziaul Islam Munna, who is now the acting director (naval security and traffic) of BIWTA, and former Dhaka City mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka’s personal assistant Monirul Islam Khan.
Khaleda pleaded not guilty to the charge of embezzlement from the charity.
She appeared before the court in Bakshibazar on Jan 12. It set Jan 26 to hear Khaleda’s defence statement. She started delivering the statement on Dec 1.
Harris has been absconding since the case was started while Munna and Monirul have submitted statements in their defence in the court.
Thirty-two witnesses have been deposed in the case.
Source: Bd news24