Staff Reporter :
The High Court has rejected a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia seeking cancellation of Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
The HC bench comprising Justice Ruhul Kuddus and Justice Mahmudul Huq passed the order on Thursday after hearing the petition. Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokan appeared for Khaleda Zia while Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission during the hearing.
The HC bench rejected Khaleda Zia’s petition, saying that the petition was not submitted properly to the court.
Earlier on March 9, the BNP Chief filed the petition with the HC seeking cancellation of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case. Mahbub Uddin Khokon submitted the petition on behalf of his client.
In the petition, faulty recruitment process of the Investigation Officer (IO) in the case was cited. Khaleda Zia challenged the legality of appointment of the IO, saying that the ACC did not publish any gazette notice in this regard.
The ACC has the right to appoint an IO in any case under Section 20 (1) of the ACC Act 2004. Besides, a gazette notification should be published in this regard. But in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case, the ACC recruited Harunur Rashid without issuing any gazette notification.
The petition also sought for a rule asking the government why the Zia Charitable Trust graft case should not be cancelled following faulty recruitment of its IO. The petition will be moved to the HC bench on Monday next.
On August 8 in 2010, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with the Tejgaon Police Station accusing four persons, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The other accused are Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda Zia’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.
ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid pressed charges against the accused on January 16 in 2012. The trial proceeding of the case is underway at the Special Judge Court-3 of Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar, set up on the premises of Alia Madrasa in the capital’s Bakshibazar.
