A Dhaka court has adjourned till August 3 hearing on the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 fixed the date on Thursday in response to a time petition filed by Khaleda’s lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.
The court fixed the date after the hearing of partial statement of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director Harunur Rashid.
Harun is the plaintiff of Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
On Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, they appealed for the time petition.
Khaleda reached a parade ground of the Dhaka central jail directorate court site at Bakshibazar area around 10:45am.
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.
