By Mizan Rahman
A Dhaka court yesterday ordered Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on September 3 in connection with Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage
Trust graft cases.
Judge Basudev Roy, of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3, passed the order upon two separate petitions submitted by Zia’s lawyer, seeking adjournment of the hearing in the cases.
On July 24, the Supreme Court deferred the hearing on two criminal petitions for leave-to-appeal filed by the BNP chairperson against a High Court (HC) order that rejected her two writ petitions in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
The court will hear Zia’s two petitions against another HC order rejecting two revision appeals that sought to quash lower court indictment orders against her in the two graft cases on September 1.
Besides, the hearing on the other two petitions – civil miscellaneous petitions - filed by Zia against a HC order rejecting the petitions of challenging the legality of the appointment of special Judge was not held on July 24, as it did not appear in the cause list of the appellate
division.
On March 19, Judge Roy framed charges against Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and seven other people rejecting their
petitions in the two graft cases.
The BNP chief filed separate revision appeals with the High Court on April 13, seeking to quash the lower court indictment orders against her in the graft cases. However, the HC on April 23 rejected the two
petitions.
On July 7, the BNP chief filed two criminal petitions (CPs) for leave-to-appeal with the appellate division against two High Court orders in connection with the two graft cases.
On July 13, the camber Judge of appellate division fixed July 27 for hearing the two CPs and sent to the Chief Justice who constituted the third bench for disposal of the duo petitions of the former Prime Minister.
On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case accusing four people, including Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid, also an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on
January 16, 2012.
Besides, the ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008, accusing Zia, her eldest son Tarique, now living in the UK after securing bail, and four others for misappropriating over 21mn taka which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.
On August 5, 2010, ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid submitted a charge-sheet to the court in the case against six
people, including Zia.
Zia returned to Dhaka from Saudi Arabia on Saturday night after performing the Umrah. Tarique, who is now living in London, was with her during her stay in Saudi.
