BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will appear before the court on Wednesday in connection with Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.
Khaleda’s lawyer Advocate Md Sanaullah Miah told the Dhaka Tribune.
“Khaleda Zia will appear before the court at 12:00 noon,” he said.
The hearing on charge framing in the graft cases is set for Wednesday.
On January 15, 2013, Khaleda last appeared before the court and secured permanent bail in the cases.
Earlier on February 16, the court granted a time petition to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for the last time.
The court also deferred the hearing on charge framing till March 19 in two cases.
With this deferral, the court adjourned the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case 41 times and the Zia Charitable Trust graft case 11 times for hearing on charge framing.
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 other 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 other 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 Harunur Rashid submitted a charge sheet on the case on August 5, 2010.