DHAKA NEWS
Dhaka, Apr 29 Hearings on two corruption cases involving BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was deferred on Sunday as she could appear in court because of the daylong shutdown her party enforced nationwide.
The graft cases involving Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust were due to be heard on Sunday. Khaleda's lawyers told the court that the BNP chief could not come to the court over 'security concerns'.
Judge Mohammad Zahurul Haque of Dhaka's Senior Special Judge's Court fixed May 31 for hearing on the admissability of the charge-sheet placed against Khaleda in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case following plea from her lawyers Mahbubuddin Khokon and Sanaullah Miah.
Both of Khaled's lawyers are central leaders of the BNP.
Apart from the BNP chief, her former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his assistant private secretary (APS) Ziaul Islam (Munna) and former Dhaka mayor's APS Monirul Islam Khan are the other accused in this graft case.
Hearing on the case was earlier deferred on Mar 18.
On Aug 6 last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission's deputy director Harunur Rashid filed a case accusing Khaleda and three others of illegal transaction under the banner of Zia Charitable Trust. On Jan 16, Rashid, also the investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused.
According to case details, a 42-kantha piece of land in the capital's Kakrail had been bought from one Suraiya Khanam in January 2005 for Tk 65.2 million.
The Zia Charitable Trust did not have any known source of income for around Tk 12.5 million, a sum that made up part of the payment for the land.
The ACC said in the charge-sheet that information of transactions worth more than Tk 31.5 million was found, apart from an amount given to the owner of the land. The money allegedly came from illegal sources.
The Zia Orphanage Trust graft case charge-framing hearing against Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others was also deferred to July 14.
Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain of the Dhaka Special Judge's Court-3 rescheduled the hearing following plea from Khaleda's lawyers Taherul Islam Touhid and Joynal Abedin Mesbah.
The BNP chief's lawyers said Khaleda could not come to the court over security concerns on the first day of the dawn-to-dusk shutdown.
Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, lawyer for Tarique, appeared before the court as the BNP senior vice-chairman has been living abroad.
The other accused are former MP from a Magura constituency Qazi Solimul Hoque, former bureaucrat Kamaluddin Siddiqui, businessman Shorfuddin Ahmed and Mominur Rahman.
Qazi Solimul Hoque and Shorfuddin Ahmed, who had earlier secured bail, were absent at the court. Their lawyers pleaded for more time. The other two accused in the case are absconding.
On July 3, 2008, the ACC filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing seven, including Khaleda and Tarique of embezzling over Tk 21 million from the Zia Orphanage Trust.
ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid, investigation officer of the case, filed the charge-sheet of the case on Aug 5 last year accusing the former prime minister, her elder son and four others.
The graft cases involving Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust were due to be heard on Sunday. Khaleda's lawyers told the court that the BNP chief could not come to the court over 'security concerns'.
Judge Mohammad Zahurul Haque of Dhaka's Senior Special Judge's Court fixed May 31 for hearing on the admissability of the charge-sheet placed against Khaleda in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case following plea from her lawyers Mahbubuddin Khokon and Sanaullah Miah.
Both of Khaled's lawyers are central leaders of the BNP.
Apart from the BNP chief, her former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his assistant private secretary (APS) Ziaul Islam (Munna) and former Dhaka mayor's APS Monirul Islam Khan are the other accused in this graft case.
Hearing on the case was earlier deferred on Mar 18.
On Aug 6 last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission's deputy director Harunur Rashid filed a case accusing Khaleda and three others of illegal transaction under the banner of Zia Charitable Trust. On Jan 16, Rashid, also the investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused.
According to case details, a 42-kantha piece of land in the capital's Kakrail had been bought from one Suraiya Khanam in January 2005 for Tk 65.2 million.
The Zia Charitable Trust did not have any known source of income for around Tk 12.5 million, a sum that made up part of the payment for the land.
The ACC said in the charge-sheet that information of transactions worth more than Tk 31.5 million was found, apart from an amount given to the owner of the land. The money allegedly came from illegal sources.
The Zia Orphanage Trust graft case charge-framing hearing against Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others was also deferred to July 14.
Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain of the Dhaka Special Judge's Court-3 rescheduled the hearing following plea from Khaleda's lawyers Taherul Islam Touhid and Joynal Abedin Mesbah.
The BNP chief's lawyers said Khaleda could not come to the court over security concerns on the first day of the dawn-to-dusk shutdown.
Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, lawyer for Tarique, appeared before the court as the BNP senior vice-chairman has been living abroad.
The other accused are former MP from a Magura constituency Qazi Solimul Hoque, former bureaucrat Kamaluddin Siddiqui, businessman Shorfuddin Ahmed and Mominur Rahman.
Qazi Solimul Hoque and Shorfuddin Ahmed, who had earlier secured bail, were absent at the court. Their lawyers pleaded for more time. The other two accused in the case are absconding.
On July 3, 2008, the ACC filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing seven, including Khaleda and Tarique of embezzling over Tk 21 million from the Zia Orphanage Trust.
ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid, investigation officer of the case, filed the charge-sheet of the case on Aug 5 last year accusing the former prime minister, her elder son and four others.
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