DHAKA: After Wednesday’s proceedings, Judge Abu Ahmed Jamaddar of Dhaka Third Special Judges Court set October 29 for the next hearing in the Zia Charitable and Orphanage Trust Graft cases.

Earlier, lawyer of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, the key accused of two cases, advocate Abdur Rezzak Khan cross examined witnesses Standard Chartered Bank branch manager Naoshad Mohammad, relationship manager Amirul Islam and customer services manager Alok Kanti Chakrabarty.

Besides, four other witnesses — Sonali Bank Dhaka Cantonment branch cash officer Walid Ahmed, Shahjalal Bank senior officer M Mamunuzzaman, metro makers and Developer Limited former senior officer Saiful Alam and its officer Chowdhury MN Alam —gave their respective statements in the cases Wednesday.

After recording their testimony, the court, set up at Bakshibazar, asked them to appear before it on October 29 to face cross-examination by defense lawyers.

But cross examination and deposition in the Zia Orphanage Trust Graft case have remained adjourned 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: 1805 HRS, OCT 21, 2015
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