Staff Reporter :BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia appeared in the Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka, set up on the premises of Alia Madrasha at Bakshibazar in the capital, on Monday to attend the hearing on two graft cases. The special court fixed June 18 for next hearing on Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases filed against Khaleda Zia and eight others. Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the special court passed the order upon a petition filed by the defence seeking more time for cross-examining plaintiff and Deputy Director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Harun-ur-Rashid in the Zia Charitable Trust case. Khaleda Zia’s lawyers filed the time petition. The court will also hear the deposition of Harun-ur-Rashid on that day. The court, however, rejected the defence lawyers’ petition for expunging the deposition given by the plaintiff recorded by the court in absence of the BNP Chief in Zia Orphanage Trust case. Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain told the reporters after the hearing that they would move a petition in the High Court challenging the order. In the petition, it was said that ‘recording of the statements in absence of Khaleda Zia was illegal. So, the statements should be expunged’. Security measures were beefed up in and around the court premises. Huge contingents of Rapid Action Battalion, Detective Branch of Police, Border Guard Bangladesh and other law enforcement agencies were deployed on the court premises to maintain law and order.On August 8 in 2010, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust case with Tejgaon Police Station against Khaleda Zia and three others on charges of abusing power in raising funds and illegally transacting Tk 3,15,43,000 in the name of the Trust. The Commission filed the other case on July 3 in 2008 with Ramna Police Station against Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, and four others on charges of embezzling over Tk 2.10 crore from Zia Orphanage Trust.
