Khaleda graft case: Judge leaves courtroom amid lawyers’ ruckus

The judge presiding over the Zia Charitable Trust graft case stepped out of his courtroom amid a verbal fight between prosecution and defence counsels on the second day of arguments.

The incident happened on Wednesday when Dhaka’s Fifth Special Judge Md Akhteruzzaman was hearing the case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others.

The former prime minister stands accused of embezzling Tk 31.55 million in the charges brought by the Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC.

The others accused in the case are Khaleda’s former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his former personal assistant Ziaul Islam Munna, who is now the acting director (naval security and traffic) of BIWTA, and former Dhaka City mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka’s aide Monirul Islam Khan.

After the prosecution presented its arguments on Tuesday, Munna’s lawyer Aminul Islam started presenting his arguments, just before the court was adjourned.

Islam resumed his closing statement on Wednesday, as the day proceeded. He told the court that Sheikh Hasina’s public address in Sylhet on Tuesday sounded more like a speech by a political party chief than by the country’s prime minister.

ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossan objected and said: “Do not bring up the prime minister’s speech in court. Present your case.”

An argument broke out between the counsels and at one point Judge Akhteruzzaman left the courtroom for his chamber.

Fifteen minutes later, the judge returned and said, “How do you make a fuss before a former prime minister of Bangladesh?”

An argument between prosecution and defence counsels is common in court, he said adding: “But why the juniors will create a commotion? Look at your seniors; they remained silent.”

The court then resumed hearing the defence’s arguments.