Orphanage Trust graft: Court rejects Khaleda’s petition to change judge

The High Court has turned down BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s petition to change judges in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case for the fourth time.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 20 August 2017, 08:13 AM
Updated : 20 August 2017, 08:13 AM

Khaleda was represented by lawyers AJ Mohammad Ali and Jainal Abedin. They were accompanied by Badruddoza Badol and Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan. The ACC was represented by Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan.

“The court scrapped Khaleda Zia’s petition and added some observations on the matter,” Khan told bdnews24.com after a High Court hearing on Sunday.

“The case will be heard by the current presiding court.”

Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan said Khaleda’s side would take the petition to the Appellate Division.

The petition to change judges was filed by Bhuiyan at the High Court on Aug 6.

“The plea has been made out of fear of being denied justice,” said Advocate Mahbub Uddin, a lawyer for Khaleda.

A special court set up in Old Dhaka is hearing two graft cases against Khaleda, involving Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust.

The Zia Charitable Trust graft case was filed by the ACC in 2010 against the BNP chief and three others for embezzlement of 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.

Last month, Khaleda asked the court to grill 11 witnesses of Zia Orphanage Trust graft case once again.

The High Court rejected the plea and fixed Aug 3 for the next hearing. But on Aug 3, Khaleda’s lawyers said their client was in London for medical treatment.

On this, the ACC asked the High Court to scrap Khaleda’s bail. The High Court’s order on the matter is due on Monday.

ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood has claimed that the BNP chief was trying to drag the case on unnecessarily.