Dhaka Third Special Judges Court set up at Bakshibazar has set next date for hearing in the Zia Charitable and Orphanage Trust graft cases against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and others.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamaddar on Wednesday set the date on October 29 for the next hearing
Earlier, Begum Zia’s lawyer advocate Abdur Rezzak Khan cross examined witnesses Standard Chartered Bank branch manager Naoshad Mohammad, relationship manager Amirul Islam and customer services manager Alok Kanti Chakrabarty.
Besides, four other witnesses — Sonali Bank Dhaka Cantonment branch cash officer Walid Ahmed, Shahjalal Bank senior officer M Mamunuzzaman, metro makers and Developer Limited former senior officer Saiful Alam and its officer Chowdhury MN Alam —gave their respective statements in the cases Wednesday.
After recording their testimony, the court, set up at Bakshibazar, asked them to appear before it on October 29 to face cross-examination by defense lawyers.
But cross examination and deposition in the Zia Orphanage Trust Graft case have remained adjourned as leave to appeal remained pending at the High Court.
Zia Orphanage Trust Graft Case
During the military backed 1/11 government of Fakhruddin-Mainuddin, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating Tk over 2.10-crore, which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.
The other accused are former BNP lawmaker Kazi Saleemul Haque, businessperson Sharfuddin Ahmed, Khaleda’s former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Momenur Rahman.
Zia Charitable Trust Graft Case
During Sheikh Hasina government ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on August 8, 2011, accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The other accused in the case are Harris Chowdhury, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris, Monirul Islam Khan and APS to Sadeque Hossain Khoka, mayor of the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation.
Khoka convicted
Meanwhile, the Third Special Judge Court with Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar in the chair on Tuesday handed down BNP vice-chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka a 13-year jail term in a graft case filed by Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).
The court also fined Khoka Tk 11-lakh, in default, seven months’ jail.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Ramna Thana in city on April 2, 2008.
The BNP senior leader, now staying in the USA, was tried in absentia.
On December 6 of 2007, Khoka submitted details of his assets worth Tk 24,487,086.
After an investigation, ACC found assets worth Tk 97,628,261 acquired through unknown practices and has hidden details of assets worth Tk 96,403,609.
BNP finds conspiracy
BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Wednesday alleged that the government is conspiring to keep their top leaders away from future polls by punishing them in ‘false cases’.
“People want to see a representative government in power elected by their votes. But, this government fears to face a competitive election. The government is conspiring to hold another Jan-5 like election by keeping its main opponents out of the race,” he said.
Speaking at a doa mahfil, Nazrul Islam remained the government that mere big leaders are not necessary to win any polls, UNB reports.
The BNP leader also alleged that their party vice chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka has been punished in a graft case depriving him of his right to self-defence.
BNP has also termed lopsided the court verdict jailing its vice chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka for 13 years’ in a graft case and claimed that he did not get justice.
“The main target of the trial was to harass Sadeque Hossain Khoka and tarnish his image. The trial process was completely with an unusual pace and the verdict was given unilaterally depriving him of his right to self-defence,” said BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he further said, “We think it’s a farce in the name of trial. He (Khoka) has been punished with a political motive, and he was deprived of justice through the verdict.”
Ripon said Khoka was tried in absentia thought he went to the US for his kidney and cancer treatment with High Court permission.
Khoka cannot be a fugitive in the eye of law as he went to the US following a court order, the BNP leader said adding, “We think the trial process of the court was unusual.”
He also said the quick way the court has completed the trial process in the case against Khoka by showing him a fugitive, it will remain as a bad instance in the judiciary’s history.
“Through the verdict, Khoka has been subjected to an evil design to keep him away from politics and election,” Ripon observed.
Source: Weekly Holiday
