Graft case: Khaleda’s plea seeking court transfer scrapped

The High Court today cleared the way for the Senior Special Judge’s Court-5 of Dhaka to continue trial proceedings of Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and others. 

The bench of Justice Md Shawkat Hossain and Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder disposed of with some observations a petition filed by Khaleda for transferring the case against her from the court of Special Judge-5 Md Akhtaruzzaman to another court.

The HC order means that the trial of the Zia Orphanage Trust will be held at the court of Special Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

The court observed that both the defence and state counsels should uphold the dignity of the court, he said, adding that the detailed observations will be known once the court releases the full text of its order.

Meanwhile, Advocate Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan, a lawyer for Khaleda, told this correspondent that his client will file an appeal with the Supreme Court against the HC order.

The ACC filed the case on July 3, 2008, with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore that was received as grants for orphans via a foreign bank.

Of the six accused, Khaleda, former BNP lawmaker Salimul Haq Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed are on bail while the others including Tarique are absconding.

On August 6 this year, Khaleda Zia filed a revision petition with the HC for transferring the case from the court of Special Judge-5 Md Akhtaruzzaman to another court, apprehending that she will not get justice from Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman, as his court in July verbally ordered to arrest his lawyer Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon when her lawyers prayed for adjournment of its hearing.

Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali and Barrister Bodruddoza Badal also appeared for Khaleda Zia.