BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia pleaded not guilty and demanded justice when delivering her defence statement in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case on Thursday.
The BNP chief appeared before the makeshift court set up at Bakshibazar at 11am.
She submitted her plea after Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-5 read out the charges brought against her.
In reply to a question of the court, Khaleda Zia said she would submit a list of defence witnesses and place her self-defence statement in writing.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Charitable Trust case with Tejgaon police station on August 8, 2011, accusing four people including the BNP chief of abusing power when raising funds for and managing the trust.
The court fixed November 30 for the next hearing in the case.
Also on Thursday, the BNP chairperson continued her statement of self-defence before the court in the Zia Orphanage Trust Graft case.
The ACC filed this case with Ramna police station on July 3, 2008, accusing Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of embezzling over Tk2.10 crore.
Khaleda had begun presenting her statement of self-defence in the Zia Orphanage Trust Graft case on October 19. As she had been unable to complete her statement over the last six consecutive hearings, the court gave her until November 30 to finish.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
