FROM GULSHAN: BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been preparing to appear before the court and she might be left her political office at city’s Gulshan area after three months.

Police sources added that ahead of her appearance in the court the security measures have been boosted up in Gulshan and other respective areas.
 
BNP Chairperson will start for the court from her political office at city’s Gulshan area around 9:30am Sunday.

She will appear before the makeshift court at Alia Madrasa ground in the city on Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust cases.

BNP political office sources confirmed the matter to the media in the morning.

She will return home from the court, the sources added.

Earlier on Saturday, Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Advocate Sanaullah Mia confirmed that the BNP chairperson will go to the court on Sunday.

Witness depositions in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases are scheduled to be held on the day.

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 court 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: 0932 HRS, APR 05, 2015
BD/AKA

** Khaleda to appear in court Sunday