Court to hear graft cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Jun 29

A Dhaka court has fixed a new date for hearing two graft cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Magistrate Md Akteruzzaman fixed Jun 29 for the next hearings on the Zia Charitable Trust graft case and the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Khaleda was scheduled to make a defence statement on Thursday, for which she appeared in the special court set up in Old Dhaka’s Bakshibazar.

Defence lawyers sought time citing the health conditions of lawyer Abdur Rezak Khan who was due to cross-examine the investigation officer of the Zia Charitable Trust case on Thursday.

Advocate Khan was in hospital with Chikungunya fever, said Khaleda’s another lawyer Nuruzzaman Tapan.

“Defence lawyer Aminul Islam asked only one question to the investigation officer following the magistrate’s order and then the hearing was adjourned,” he told bdnews24.com.

The hearing was also adjourned for the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case after Khaleda’s lawyers pleaded for time citing that the case was pending with the High Court.

On Jun 15, Advocate Rezak Khan fell sick while cross-examining Harunur Rashid, assistant director at the Anti-Corruption Commission, who investigates the Zia Charitable Trust case. The court was then adjourned until Jun 22.

The Zia Charitable Trust graft case was filed by the ACC in 2010 against the BNP chief and three others for embezzling Tk 31.5 million.

The Zia Orphanage Trust graft case was filed in 2008. The ACC case accuses Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of embezzling Tk 21 million.