DHAKA: BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has appeared before the court Sunday morning (April 17) to defend herself in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The BNP chief reached the court premises at 10:30am on the day.

However, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two graft cases against nine persons including Khaleda Zia as prime accused at a makeshift court on the premises of jail department’s parade ground in city’s Bakshibazaar area.

Earlier, the third Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jamader of the Bakshibazar makeshift court asked Khaleda Zia to appear on April 17.

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: 1052 HRS, APR 17, 2016
RR/SMS

** Khaleda to defend in graft case Sunday