DHAKA: A Dhaka court set September 3 for deposition submission of next witness against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and five others in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Third Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jamader of the Bakshibazar makeshift court setup at Alia Madrasa ground fixed the date on Thursday.

During day’s proceedings, the court recorded depositions of three witnesses in absence of Khaleda Zia, the key accused of the case.

According to her lawyers, the BNP chief could not appear before court due to her illness.

Prior to deposition recording, TM Akber Rashid, on behalf of accused Monirul Islam Khan, cross-examined the plaintiff of Zia Charitable Trust Case ACC deputy director Harun-or-Rashid, also the first witness of the case.

On August 10, another accused Ziaul Islam Munna’s lawyer Aminul Islam cross-examined him in the Zia Charitable Trust Case.

Besides, the court asked Munna not to leave country without its permission.

Most of the accused, who were on bail, excluding prime accused BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, appeared before the court to attend the hearing.

Earlier this morning, the BNP chairperson filed four petitions seeking six-week adjournment of the trial proceedings in the Zia Charitable and Orphanage Trust graft cases on ground of her illness and foreign trip for treatment.

The court granted plea of Khaleda Zia to skip the appearance before it in person and recorded the other petitions to hear next.

Zia Orphanage Trust Graft Case

The Anti Corruption Commission (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 Tk over 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 Graft Case

On August 8, 2011, ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, 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: 1613 HRS, AUG 27, 2015
RS/SMS