Graft cases: Khaleda appears before court

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has appeared before a special court at Bakshibazar in the capital for the hearing in Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust corruption cases.

The BNP chief reached Bakshibazar court premises at around 10:15am on Thursday.

Hearing on two graft cases - Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust cases against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia will be held Thursday.

On June 18, Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the Special Judge Court-3 fixed July 23 for the next hearing in the two graft cases in presence of Khaleda Zia.

The court set the date upon two separate petitions filed by the defence seeking adjournment of the graft cases.

Khaleda Zia might remain present during the hearing, defence sources said.

Trial of the corruption cases against Khaleda and eight other accused began on September 22 last year.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed one of the graft cases against Khaleda and five others on charges of embezzling over Tk2.1 crore in the name of Zia Orphanage Trust.

The other accused are Khaleda's son Tarique Rahman, Ziaur Rahman's nephew Mominur Rahman, Khaleda's former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed.

In another case of 2011, the anti-graft body brought allegation of abusing power in setting up the Zia Charitable Trust accusing Khaleda, her former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his assistant private secretary Ziaul Islam Munna, and former Dhaka Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka's assistant personal secretary Monirul Islam Khan.