No evidence found against any accused

There is no iota of evidence against any of the six accused including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, a defence counsel of an accused in the case claimed yesterday.

Ahsan Ullah, a counsel for Sharfuddin Ahmed, made the claim while placing arguments before the Special Judge's Court-5 at city's Bakshibazar.

After hearing arguments for around one and a half hours, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman adjourned the hearing for yesterday and ordered to place the rest of it today.

Hearing of arguments from counsels of Salimul Haq Kamal, a former BNP MP and another accused in the case, is scheduled to be placed before the court on Thursday, court sources said.

On July 3, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore that the trust received as grant for orphans via a foreign bank.

Of the six accused, Khaleda, former BNP lawmaker Salimul Haq Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed are on bail while the others, including Tarique, are absconding.

Besides, on August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, for abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

In his argument, Ahsan Ullah said in 2006, Sharfuddin Ahmed took Tk 2.10 crore as advance from Zia Orphanage Trust as part of a deal to sell his Ashulia land to the trust. The land however could not be sold to the trust after a caretaker government backed by the army took over power in 2007.

Ahsan Ullah also said in 2012, Sharfuddin returned the money, Tk 2.10 crore, in favour of Zia Orphanage Trust after he received a notice from a Dhaka court in this regard.

“Therefore, the allegations of embezzlement of money from the Zia Orphanage Trust fund is totally misconceived and has no iota of evidence,” he argued.

Although the court yesterday exempted Khaleda Zia from personally appearing before the court, a close aide of the BNP chief told The Daily Star that she will appear before it today.