Khaleda may appear for graft hearing Apr 5: Lawyer

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia might appear before a Dhaka court for hearing in two graft cases “if the government provides her with proper security,” her top counsel said today.

“She is respectful of the law and she is willing to appear. But miscreants attacked her car and other BNP leaders last time on December 24,” Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, Khaleda’s principal counsel in Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases said.

Khaleda has been staying inside her Gulshan office since early January and has not come out since. It is from there that she called nationwide blockade that is persisting until date in demands for a fresh participative national election.

The government has to ensure that she will not be attacked when she will go to the court, Khandakar Mahbub, also the president of Supreme Court Bar Association, said at a press briefing at his office. “She is not on the run, Khaleda is confined to her office.”

“Khaleda Zia has not done any corruption in setting up of Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust,” he claimed. “The cases were filed against her on charge of corruption to harass her politically.”

On March 12, Khaleda flouted two arrest warrants, in the two cases, and did not appear before the court citing security reasons despite a similar statement by Khandaker Mahbub.