DHAKA: BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will appear before the court on Sunday in Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust cases.
Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Advocate Sanaullah Mia confirmed the matter to banglanews on Saturday.
Witness depositions in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases are scheduled to be held on Sunday.
The hearing on the defence’s plea to withdraw the arrest warrant for Khaleda Zia will also be held on Sunday.
Earlier on Mar 4, the Dhaka Third Special Judge court set the date after rejecting the defence’s plea to withdraw an arrest warrant for the former prime minister.
Earlier on Thursday, Khaleda Zia’s top lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, said that the BNP chief will appear before the makeshift court at Alia Madrasa ground in the city on Sunday morning in two draft cases, but the government has to ensure that she will not be attacked on her way to court.
While replying a query on necessity of security, he said earlier on December 24, Khaleda Zia’s motorcade was attacked on way to appear before the court.
On February 25, an arrest warrant was issued against Khaleda Zia after she skipped appearing before court during several hearings.
Zia Orphanage 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: 1241 HRS, APR 04, 2015
