A Dhaka court has rejected a defence petition that sought scrap of testimonies of the plaintiff of Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
However, it has accepted a separate plea that sought more time to cross-examine the plaintiff.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the Special Judge Court 3 passed the order on Monday.
Plaintiff Harun-ur-Rashid, an ACC deputy director and also the plaintiff in both graft cases, completed his unfinished deposition in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
Recording the deposition, the judge adjourned court proceedings until June 18. Rashid had earlier finished his deposition in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Khaleda was present during the hearing at the makeshift court at Parade Ground of the Department of Prisons in the capital's Bakshibazar. She arrived at the court a little before 11am amid tight security.
At the beginning of the hearing, Khaleda’s counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain submitted a petition to expunge the plaintiff's statements in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, claiming it was illegal to record the statement in the absence of the BNP chief.
The court said Khaleda had earlier prayed for not appearing before the court on several dates and the court had accepted those pleas. As the other three accused, who are on bail, were present before the court on the dates when the testimony was recorded, the procedure was legal, the court added.
“You [Khaleda's counsels] had pleaded several times to carry on with proceedings in her [Khaleda's] absence when she could not come to the court,” the judge said.
After the court rejected the petition, the defence counsel said: “We will to go to a higher court to challenge the rejection order.” He also requested the court to allow time to go to the higher court with the petition.
The court replied: “It is your decision to go to the higher court or not. There is no option of granting time for that.”
In another petition, Khaleda's lawyers asked for more time to prepare for the hearings as they were busy with the bar council elections.
The judge saw merit in this plea and said: “Being busy with the polls is justified. Time can be given to prepare for the case. However, I will not give time so that you can go to the High Court.”
ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal contested the pleas at court.