DHAKA: The Dhaka Special Court-3 on Wednesday asked BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman to appear before it on March 4 in Zia Charitable and Orphanage Trusts graft cases.

The judge, Abu Ahmed Jamadar, passed the order asking Tarique’s lawyer advocate Sanaullah Mia to produce his client before it on the day.

Earlier in the day, the court also issued arrest warrant against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and two others in the cases rejecting time petitions filed by her lawyers.

Later, the court recorded deposition of deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Harun-ur-Rashid, also plaintiff of the cases, in Zia Orphanage graft case and adjourned the trial proceedings till March 4.

Then, ACC lawyer Advocate Mosharraf Hossian Kajol filed a petition seeking the court’s order to produce Tarique Rahman before it.

He said, “Tarique went to London on September 11, 2008 showing medical grounds after securing parole. We came to know that he is now quite Ok. So, his presence is important for the sake of continuity of trial proceedings.”

In response to the appeal, the court asked lawyer of Tarique Rahman to produce his client before it on March 4. 

Zia Orphanage Trust Case

The ACC filed the graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.  

The other accused are former BNP lawmaker Kazi Saleemul Haque, businessperson Sharfuddin Ahmed, Khaleda's former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Momenur Rahman.

Zia Charitable Trust Case

On August 8, 2011, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.     

The other accused in the case are Harris Chowdhury, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to Sadeque Hossain Khoka, mayor of the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation.

BDST: 1243 HRS, FEB 25, 2015/Update :1506 HRS