BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will not appear before a Dhaka court for the twin graft cases against her, although she is scheduled to do so, her lawyer Md Sanaullah Miah has confirmed.
She was supposed to appear before the court of Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka Special Judge Court 3, set up at Bakshibazar Alia Madrasa playground in the capital, today as one of the accused in the Zia Charitable and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
“Khaleda [Zia] will not appear before the court due to security reasons as she was attacked earlier when she attempted to appear before the court,” Sanaullah told the Dhaka Tribune.
“We will file separate petitions before the court seeking time on Khaleda’s behalf, mentioning security grounds,” said Masud Ahmed Talukder, another counsel of Khaleda.
Besides, the lawyers are busy with the upcoming Bar Council polls, which is why they need the extension, Masud added.
The trial of the corruption cases against Khaleda and eight other accused began on September 22 last year.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed one of the graft cases against Khaleda and five others for embezzling over Tk2.1 crore by forming a “fake” Zia Orphanage Trust that existed only on paper.
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.
The other case was filed by the anti-graft body in 2011 for abusing power in setting up the Zia Charitable Trust, accusing Khaleda, her former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his assistant private secretary Ziaul Islam Munna, former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka’s assistant personal secretary and Monirul Islam Khan.
