DHAKA: A Dhaka court set October 21 as next hearing date in the Zia Charitable and Orphanage Trust Graft cases filed against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and others.

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

Earlier in the day’s proceedings, the court recorded deposition of three witnesses in the Zia Charitable Trust Graft case and defense lawyers testified three witnesses in the case.

But it has kept adjourned the cross examination and deposition in the Zia Orphanage Trust Graft case in reply to plea of defense counsel as leave to appeal remained pending at the High Court.

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: 1642 HRS, OCT 15, 2015
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