Chaos ploy working

A Dhaka court yesterday was once again forced to adjourn the hearing in two graft cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and eight others due to chaos caused by defence lawyers.  

The trial of Zia orphanage and Zia charitable trusts corruption cases is underway at the Special Judge Court-3. The same court was forced to adjourn on December 1 amid pandemonium.  

Judge Basudev Roy yesterday recorded the statement of the complainant for half an hour and adjourned till December 17 the hearing on the two cases. It asked the former premier and four others, all on bail now, to appear before it on that day.

If the situation were normal, the court could have completed recording the statement of the complainant, said court sources.  

Khaleda's lawyers yesterday submitted two adjournment petitions before the court. Mahbub Uddin Khokon, a counsel for Khaleda, told the court that they have filed two petitions with the High Court for transferring the cases from the trial court as they “would not get justice” here.

Opposing the petitions, ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajol said the HC has already dismissed all the leave-to-appeal petitions filed by Khaleda, clearing the way for holding the trial.    

After rejecting the petitions, the court asked complainant Harun-ur-Rashid, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), to give his deposition. 

The court, however, granted Khaleda's non-appearance petition that said the BNP chief could not appear before it yesterday on security grounds.

As the ACC official was about to begin his deposition, Mahbub Uddin Khokon again submitted four petitions to reconsider his appeals. The court rejected their petitions.

Soon after the rejection order, defence lawyers raised a hue and cry. At one stage, the judge adjourned recording the statement of the plaintiff and left the courtroom. 

Khaleda on December 1 had skipped the hearing on security grounds. The court yesterday asked the prosecution to ensure Khaleda's security while commuting between the court and her residence. 

The four other accused in the cases include former BNP lawmaker Kazi Saleemul Haque Kamal and its leader Harris Chowdhury, now absconding.

Advocate Sanaullah Miah represented BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman in his absence.

The ACC in 2009 had filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case for embezzlement of over Tk 2.1 crore by forming a “fake” trust which existed only on paper.

The anti-graft watchdog in 2011 had sued four people, including Khaleda, for abusing power in setting up Zia Charitable Trust. Both the charities were set up during the tenure (2001-2006) of the BNP-led four-party alliance government.