Khaleda skips hearing in Zia Trust case

Citing security reasons, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday again skipped a Dhaka court's hearing in Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases filed against her.

The BNP chief also did not appear before the court mentioning the same reason on September 22. Khaleda turned up in the court for the last time on September 17. Bashudev Roy of the Special Judge's Court-3 of Dhaka yesterday adjourned recording statements of the prosecution witnesses till October 26 after Khaleda's lawyers filed four petitions.

Khaleda was asked to be present at the court on that day.

The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed the two cases in 2008 and 2011. According to the charge sheet of one of the cases, Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others embezzled Tk 2.1 crore by forming the charity that exists only on paper.

Two of the four petitions filed yesterday cited security as the reason for Khaleda's absence in the court. The other two petitions sought adjournment of the proceedings of the two cases.

During yesterday's hearing, Khaleda's lawyers— Advocate Mosleh Uddin Jasim and Taherul Islam Towhid—told the court that Khaleda had earlier filed four leave-to-appeal petitions with the Supreme Court challenging the appointment of Bashudev Roy as judge of the Special Judge's Court-3 of Dhaka and the legality of the indictment order by him on the BNP chief.

The petitions challenging Bashudev Roy's appointment were rejected by the Supreme Court recently but the other two petitions are still pending.

Former BNP MP Kazi Saleemul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed and two other accused were present in the court yesterday.

Advocate Sanaullah Miah represented Tarique, now on bail, during the hearing.