Zia Charitable Trust graft: Khaleda’s bail extended till tomorrow

A Dhaka court today extended the bail of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia until tomorrow in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Judge MD Akhteruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 passed the order after Khaleda’s lawyer Barrister Moudud Ahmed submitted a petition seeking an extension of her bail.

The same court on February 1 gave Khaleda ad-interim bail till today and asked her to appear before it the same day.

Since she was earlier convicted in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and now in jail, she could not appear before it today.

On the other hand, Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol moved a petition for issuing production warrant against Khaleda Zia.

If the court passed the production warrant and the jail authorities produce her before it tomorrow, Khaleda can seek bail in the case, Kajol said.  

But the court is yet to give any order in this regard.

The anti-graft body filed the Zia charitable corruption case in August 2011 with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four persons including Khaleda of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.

The three other accused are: Harris Chowdhury, political secretary of the then prime minister Khaleda between 2001 and 2006; Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

The former premier landed in jail on February 8 after a special court sentenced her to five years' rigorous imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.