Zia Trust Graft Cases: Khaleda to appear in court today

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is set to appear before a makeshift court today in the capital's Bakshibazar to seek bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

“She will appear before the court around 11:00am,” Sanaullah Mia, one of Khaleda's lawyers, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman would hear the arguments in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. Khaleda would place statements in self-defence in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

On November 30, the same court issued an arrest warrant for the former prime minister after cancelling her ad-interim bail as she failed to appear before it on time.

The ad-interim bail was granted on October 19 as she had surrendered before the same court and sought bail.

The Anti-Corruption Commission on August 8, 2011 filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon police accusing four people, including Khaleda, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources through abuse of power.

The ACC filed Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna police accusing Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.1 crore that was received as grants for orphans via a foreign bank.