By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
A Dhaka court yesterday adjourned the hearing on Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases filed against Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia .
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 fixed the date after Zia’s lawyer completed cross-examination of the complainant’s witnesses during yesterday’s hearing on the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
However, responding to a time petition by two other accused in the case - Monirul Islam Munna and Ziaul Islam Khan - the court fixed August 10 for the cross examination of the complainant’s witnesses.
Meanwhile, responding to a time petition by Zia, the court fixed the same date for the next hearing on the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against her.
Zia reached the parade ground of the Dhaka central jail directorate court site at Bakshibazar area around 10:30am and left the area after the hearing around 1:30pm yesterday.
On June 23, the Special Judge’s Court-3 adjourned till August 3 the hearing on the two graft cases against Zia in her presence.
On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon police station 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 Rahman, 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, a charge-sheet was submitted to the court in the case against six people, including Zia.
