3 more witnesses cross-examined

Counsels for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday completed cross-examination of three prosecution witnesses in her absence in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The witnesses, Dr Hafizur Rahman, Md Aminuddin and Poritosh Dey, are all former officials of Sonali Bank's Prime Minister Office branch.

The court also recorded statements of three officials of Standard Chartered Bank's Motijheel branch---Md Nawshed Mahmud, Aminul Islam and Alok Kanti Chakrobarty.

A total of 13 prosecution witnesses have so far testified before the makeshift court at Bakshibazar in the capital.

Earlier on September 17, Khaleda was also absent as she was abroad.

After recording statements, Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar of the Special Judge's Court-3 of Dhaka fixed October 21 for Khaleda's lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain to cross-examine the witnesses.

Before that, Mahbub filed two petitions, saying the BNP chief had earlier gone to London for treatment and she would return within a short time and they wanted to cross-examine the witnesses on the next scheduled date.

He filed two more petitions over Khaleda's non-appearance before the court.

On September 10, the former premier appeared before the court to attend the hearing in the Zia Charitable and the Zia Orphanage trust graft cases. Before that, she didn't appear before the court for three consecutive days, citing health issues.

According to the charge sheet in the Zia Charitable Trust case, Khaleda and three others abused power to collect Tk 6.19 crore for the trust during the BNP-led government's tenure between 1991 and 1996.

In the Zia Orphanage Trust case, the BNP chief, her son Tarique Rahman and four others are accused of embezzling Tk 2.1 crore by forming the charity that exists only on paper.