Zia Orphanage Trust Case
Hearing deferred till June 23
A Dhaka court yesterday deferred the hearing on charge framing till June 23 against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others in connection with Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
With this, the court had adjourned the hearing on charge framing for seven consecutive dates following time petitions on behalf of the accused.
Judge Mohammad Mozzamel Hossain passed the order after defence lawyer for Khaleda and Tarique submitted a petition seeking an adjournment of the hearing.
In the petition advocate Sanaullah Mia told the court that his clients had earlier in 2009 filed writ petitions with the High Court (HC) challenging the legality of the case.
After the hearing, the HC issued a rule upon the government to explain why the proceedings of the case should not be declared illegal.
The matter of the rule is yet to be disposed of. So the lawyer prayed for an adjournment of the charge on hearing charge framing against the accused.
Khaleda could not appear before the court, as she was busy with organising party activities while lawyer of represented Tarique Rahman who has gone abroad for medical purposes.
Two other accused former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haq Kamal and Sharfuddin Ahmed were present at the court while principal secretary Dr Kamal Uddin Siddique and president late Ziaur Rahman's nephew Mominur Rahman have been absconding since filing the case.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) pressed corruption charges against Khaleda, Tarique and four others on August 5 of 2009. The ACC on July 3, 2008 filed the case.
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