Hearing adjourned till June 18

A Dhaka court yesterday adjourned till June 18 the hearing of Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and eight others.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the Special Judge Court-3 passed the order in presence of Khaleda in response to a petition filed by the defense seeking more time for cross-examining Harun-ur-Rashid in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Harun is a deputy director of the Anti Corruption Commission and also plaintiff of both the cases. The court completed recording statement of Harun. 

Khaleda's counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain also submitted a petition for expunging statements recorded by the court in absence of the BNP chief in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case but the court rejected the plea.

Mahbub said, “We will to go to the high court challenging the rejection order.”

Earlier at 10:54am, Khaleda appeared before the court at the makeshift court in the capital's Baksibazar Alia Madrassa.

Advocate Sanaullah Mia represented BNP leader Tarique Rahman in his absence while four other accused, including BNP leader Kazi Kamal, were present yesterday.