Graft case: Court accepts Khaleda’s time petition

A Dhaka court today adjourned the hearing of trial proceedings till June 23 in Zia Charitable Trust graft case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and eight others.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar of the Special Judge Court-3 adjourned the hearing in presence of Khaleda at the courtroom after her lawyer filed a time petition on behalf of her.

Khaleda appeared before the makeshift court set up at Bakshibazar to place her statements in the corruption case as per the court order.

After the court adjourned the trial proceedings, the BNP chief left the court around noon.

Khaleda was asked to appear before the court today (June 2) to place her self-defence statements against the statements of 32 prosecution witnesses given during the trial.

RAED MORE: Khaleda asked to appear before court

On April 17, Khaleda appeared before the court but sought time to submit her self defence statements. She was absent from the court on two executive dates.  

On April 7, the High Court cleared the way for a lower court to continue the trial proceedings against Khaleda in the case after rejecting her petition seeking cancellation of the proceedings.

The BNP chief on March 9 challenged the legality of appointment of Harunur Rashid, investigating officer of the case, saying the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had not published any gazette notice regarding this.

The ACC on August 8, 2011 filed the graft case accusing Khaleda and three others of abuse of power in setting up the charity.

The other accused are Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda's former political secretary, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) of Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka. Of them, Harris is on the run.