The Dhaka Special Judge’s Court 3 yesterday deferred the date for the submission of the High Court order in two corruption cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia until May 21.
It also said the prosecution witnesses will testify if the High Court order is not submitted on that day.
The Judge’s Court passed the order after the defence filed a petition seeking time for witnesses to testify in the cases.
Judge Basudev Roy granted the time petition and the deferral.
In the petition, Khaleda’s defence said the High Court would pass its order on April 23. The HC heard the defence last Sunday when they challenged the lower court’s order on the charges against the BNP chairperson.
As the High Court order was pending, they asked for more time to begin the testimonies of the witnesses, said the defence counsel.
On March 19, the court framed charges against Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust and the Charitable Trust graft cases.
On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case with the Tejgaon police station, accusing four individuals, including Khaleda, of abusing power while raising funds for the Zia Charitable Trust from unknown sources.
The ACC filed another case with the Ramna police station on July 3, 2008, accusing Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk21m which came in as “grants” from a foreign bank for the orphans.
