DHAKA: BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia Thursday filed time petition to defer the hearing of Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases.

The BNP chief started for court around 9:30am from his residence in city’s Gulshan area and reached there at 10:30am to attend the hearing.

However, the hearing of the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases are scheduled to be held around 10:30am in a makeshift court set up in city’s Alia Madrasa ground.

Earlier on May 25, Khaleda Zia filed a petition seeking cancellation of first witness Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director Harunur Rashid’s deposition recorded on May 5.

She explained that the recording of deposition placed by first witness was not lawful as Khaleda Zia was absent in the court on the day.

On Thursday, Khaleda Zia sought more time as the hearing of the writ petition was scheduled to be held in High Court (HC). 

Zia Orphanage Case

The 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 over Tk 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 Case

On August 8, 2011, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda, 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: 1049 HRS, JUNE 18, 2015
BD/AKA/SMS