UNB, Dhaka :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday dismissed two leave-to-appeal petitions filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia against a High Court order rejecting her two petitions challenging the legality of the appointment of a special judge who framed charges against her in two graft cases.
The five-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice M Muzammel Hossain, passed the order.
The Appellate Division began the hearing on the two petitions of the former prime minister on September 4. The hearing was completed on September 11.
On March 19 this year, Judge Basudev Roy of the Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-3 framed charges against the BNP chief, her son Tarique Rahman and seven other people rejecting their time petitions in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
Khaleda filed separate revision appeals with the High Court on April 13, seeking to quash the lower court indictment orders against her in the two graft cases.
However, the HC on April 23 rejected the two petitions. Later, she filed two writ petitions with the High Court on May 12. The HC dismissed her writs on June 19.
On July 7, the BNP
chief filed two criminal petitions (CPs) for leave-to-appeal with the Appellate Division against two High Court orders in connection with the two graft cases.
Two criminal petitions (CPs) for leave-to-appeal were filed against a High Court order that rejected her two writ petitions in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
Two civil miscellaneous petitions (CMPs) were filed against a High Court order rejecting the petitions challenging the legality of the appointment of the special judge.
On August 8, 2011, the Anti Corruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid, also an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012.
Besides, the ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK after securing bail, and four others for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.
On August 5, 2010, ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid submitted a charge-sheet to the court in the case against six people, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
