HC orders transfer of Zia Orphanage Trust graft case

The High Court yesterday gave order to  transfer the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from the court of Senior Special Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah.

The order came after hearing a petition filed by Khaleda seeking transfer order.

However, it did not instantly disclose the court which will now try the case, Barrister Bodruddoza Badal, a lawyer for Khaleda, said.

The HC will mention  the name of the court in its written order, said Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan.

On April 26, Khaleda filed the petition with the HC challenging the lower court's order which rejected her application that was submitted on April 13 expressing no confidence in Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah and requesting for sending the case to the HC for its judicial review as Mollah was a director of the ACC between 2010 and 2015.

The case once before was transferred from the Special Judge Court-3 to the Senior Special Judge's Court on March 8.

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.

Meanwhile, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Justice Hasan Foez Siddique kept two government petitions seeking stay on the HC orders stand over (postponed) for four weeks in two vandalism and arson cases against Khaleda.

The trial proceedings against Khaleda in the cases will remain stayed following the order, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, a lawyer for Khaleda, said.

Following two petitions filed by Khaleda, the HC on May 7 stayed the trial proceedings against her and also issued two rules asking the government to explain why the proceedings of the cases should not be scrapped.

The cases were filed with Darussalam Police Station on January 29 and February 4 in 2015 during anti-government agitation enforced by BNP-led alliance.