Hearing deferred till Jan 12
A special court in Dhaka yesterday deferred to January 12 for placing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's self-defence statements in connection with the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar of the Special Judge Court-3 passed the order in presence of Khaleda Zia after her lawyer Abdur Rezak Khan submitted a petition seeking an adjournment of the hearing.
During the hearing, Khaleda, who appeared before the court at 11:30am, was allowed to sit on a chair. She then left the courtroom at 2:45pm.
In the petition, the lawyer said his client had earlier filed a petition with the High Court for recording statements of 32 prosecution witnesses afresh which is pending with the Chief Justice. So the hearing for placing her self-defence statements should be adjourned until the HC matter gets finalised.
Opposing the adjournment petition, Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol told the court that there was no stay on running the proceedings.
After the hearing for over two hours, the judge granted the defence petition.
The court also allowed a petition submitted by Khaleda for recording statement of a prosecution witness who for the first time enquired the matter of Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
During the hearing after lunch, advocate Hossain Ali Khan, one of Khaleda's lawyers, told the judge that their client could not say her prayers, take lunch and other activities, while he (Judge) did everything.
Following that, there was a hue and cry inside the courtroom over the indecent comment against the judge. Later, the lawyer who made the comment offered unconditional apology.
Earlier on December 22 and 29, the same court asked Khaleda and other accused to appear before it yesterday.
On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources abusing power.
The ACC filed the case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 lakh that was received as grant for orphans from a foreign bank.
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