BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and five others accused in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case must receive the highest possible punishment, the prosecution demanded in its closing statement yesterday.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) special Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol told Judge Md Akhteruzzaman that the ACC has been able to prove that the accused embezzled over Tk2.1 crore from the trust.
Kajol appealed to the Dhaka Special Judges Court 5 to grant the highest punishment under sections 409/109 of panel code and section 5 (2) of the Anti corruption Act 1947.
During the hearing, Kajol also cited different points from the statements of 32 prosecution witnesses.
Earlier in the day, the BNP chief appeared before the court in the Zia Orphanage Trust and the Zia Charitable trust graft cases.
The same court had granted bail to Khaleda when she surrendered before it with a bail plea on December 5.
Also Read- Khaleda gets bail in Zia orphanage, Zia charitable trust graft cases
A week earlier, the court issued an arrest warrant for the BNP chief after she had failed to appear before the court citing security issues.
The Zia Orphanage Trust graft case was filed with Ramna police station on July 3, 2008, by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which accuses Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman, and four others of embezzling over Tk2.1 crore.
The other accused in the case are former lawmaker Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, and Mominur Rahman, who is the nephew of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.
The anti-graft body also lodged the Zia Charitable Trust graft case against Khaleda and four others with Tejgaon police station on August 8, 2011, over the alleged embezzlement of Tk3.15 crore from the trust.
The accused were indicted in the cases on March 19, 2014.
The court will today hear the arguments of the accused in the Zia Orphanage Trust case, and the remainder of Khaleda Zia’s self-defence statement in the Zia Charitable trust graft case.
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
