Khaleda asked to appear at court May 5

A Dhaka court yesterday asked BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on May 5 to submit her statements against the depositions given by 32 prosecution witnesses in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar of the Special Judge Court-3 passed the order after Khaleda's lawyer Sanaullah Miah submitted a petition seeking adjournment of the hearing, as she could not appear before it due to illness.

Earlier on April 17, the court fixed yesterday to hear Khaleda's statements. 

The court, set up in the capital's Bakshibazar, rejected two petitions filed by the defence -- for further cross-examination of the case investigation officer and seeking case documents.

Khaleda filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the order, which is now pending.

Anti Corruption Commission filed the graft case in August 2011, accusing four people including the BNP chief of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

It also filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case in July 2008, saying that Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK, and four others misappropriated more than Tk 2.10 crore that had come as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.