-- Khaleda appears before Bakshibazar court

-- 7 witnesses cross-examined

-- Court adjourns hearing till Sept 17

A Dhaka court today adjourned till September 17 hearing on Zia charitable trust and Zia orphanage trust graft cases in presence of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at the courtroom.  

Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar fixed the date after seven witnesses were cross-examined.  

Around 11:00am, Khaleda appeared before the makeshift court at Bakshibazar.  She left the court premises around 2:15pm.

She was accompanied by her Special Assistant Shimul Biswas and Personal Secretary Mahabubur Rahman Dew.

Earlier, Khaleda was absent from appearing before the court for three consecutive days showing health problems.

According to the charge sheet of Zia charitable graft case, Khaleda and three others abused power to collect Tk 6.19 crore for Zia Charitable Trust during the BNP-led government's tenure between 1991 and 1996.

The statement of Zia orphanage trust graft case says the BNP chief, her son Tarique Rahman and four others embezzled Tk 2.1 crore by forming the charity that exists only on paper.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed both the cases.