Arrest warrant out for BNP's Tarique Rahman in Orphanage Trust graft case

The court has ordered arrest of senior BNP leader Tarique Rahman in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

A warrant was issued on Thursday by a Dhaka court as BNP chief Khaleda Zia's elder son did not appear to defend himself.

Tarique, who has been in the UK for the last nine years, has warrants on him in several others cases.

He has been convicted for money-laundering and given a seven-year prison term.

On Thursday, the court of Dhaka's Third Special Judge heard statements by two of the accused defending themselves -- former MP Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed.

The court was also scheduled to hear Khaleda's statement on Thursday, but her lawyers pleaded for more time and got the hearing deferred to Jan 30.

The judge said that he would scrap bail for the former prime minister, if she fails to appear that day.

The court also fixed Feb 2 for recording Khaleda's statement defending herself in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

In 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against six including Khaleda and her son Tarique Rahman.

It alleged that the defendants had embezzled Tk 21 million from funds meant for the trust, which reportedly came from a foreign bank.

In 2011, the anti-corruption watchdog sued the BNP chief and three others for embezzlement of Tk 31.5 million of the Zia Charitable Trust.