DHAKA:  A Dhaka court adjourned recording the deposition and cross-examination in the Zia Charitable and Zia Orphanage graft cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and others till October 15.

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

During day’s proceedings, the court recorded deposition two of the witnesses of seized list on the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

After the beginning of trial proceedings, Advocate Sanaullah Mia, lawyer of Khaleda, filed two other separate petitions for his client’s non-appearance before the court as she stayed in Londain for treatment due to her illness.

The court adjourned cross-examination to witness on the Zia Charitable Trust Case and ordered to record deposition of new witness, granting the plea on Khaleda Zia’s non-appearance.

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, Monirul Islam Khan and APS to Sadeque Hossain Khoka, mayor of the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation.

BDST: 1437 HRS, SEP 17, 2015
RS/SMS