Zia Charitable Trust case: Court to hold Khaleda trial inside Old Dhaka jailhouse

The government has moved to set up a special court for the trial of former prime minister Khaleda Zia inside the Old Dhaka jailhouse in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The government publicised the decision on the new arrangements on Tuesday, citing security reasons.

Khaleda is kept as the lone inmate in a room on the first floor of the prison on the Nazimuddin Road while the court will be set up on the ground floor, officials said.

The BNP chief has been in prison after being sentenced to five years in jail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Feb 8.

She received bail in the case, but several courts ordered her arrest in different other cases on charges like instigating violence, defamation and distortion of history.    

There would be no bar on her release if she secures bail in three more cases, according to the lawyers for Khaleda.

They have ‘strongly’ objected to the government move after Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal said in the afternoon that the court might be set up inside the jail.

The government issued the gazette notification to that end around an hour after Law Minister Anisul Huq confirmed the news to bdnews24.com.

Until now, judge Md Akhtaruzzaman was hearing the case at the Dhaka Special Court No. 5, set up next to the Alia Madrasa at Bakshibazar.

The government said in the notice that the place is insecure for being crowded.

The next hearing of the charitable trust graft case is set for Wednesday.

The authorities had cited Khaleda’s illness for not producing her in court during hearings earlier.

ACC lawyer Kajal alleged at the hearings that Khaleda was ‘faking illness’.

Sanaullah Miah, one of the defence lawyers, said, “The government is doing whatever it wishes. It’s not right. It (setting up the court inside jail) should not be done.”   

The ACC on Aug 8, 2010 prosecuted Khaleda and four others in the case accusing them of embezzling Tk 31.54 million from the trust.

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 personal assistant Monirul Islam Khan.

The ruling Awami League leaders blame the defence for delaying the trial while the BNP leaders allege the government orchestrated the trial for political gains.