Charge framing hearing deferred to Jan 24

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia arrives at a Dhaka court for hearing on the framing of charges in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case yesterday. Photo: STAR

A Dhaka court yesterday deferred to January 24 next year the hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and five others in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Appearing last on February 2, Khaleda, the leader of the opposition, arrived at the court amid tight security around 1:00pm, followed by thousands of activists chanting slogans demanding withdrawal of all cases filed against her.
Khaleda's lawyers, Moudud Ahmed and Masud Ahmed Talukder, submitted the adjournment petition, stating that earlier they filed a leave to appeal petition with the Supreme Court challenging the legality of a High Court order.
The order, passed on December 14, 2011, stated that the case proceedings would continue at the Dhaka court. The Appellate Division, on October 8, fixed January 10, 2013 to hear the leave to appeal petition.
Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol said the case was pending for long and he was ready to propose the charges.
Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain of Special Judge's Court-3 deferred the hearing and ordered the defence to submit the Appellate Division's January 10 orders to it on January 24.
The other accused are Khaleda's elder son Tarique Rahman, former principal secretary Dr Kamal Uddin Siddique, former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed and Momenur Rahman, nephew of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.
Salimul and Sharfuddin arrived in the court, Tarique is undergoing treatment abroad and Kamal and Momenur are on the run.
Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Ramna Police Station on July 3, 2009 accusing the seven of embezzling over Tk 2.10 crore by forming the “fake” trust.
Another Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to Jubo Dal President Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal in two cases filed for creating anarchy and torching vehicles before BNP's central office in the capital on October 3.
The court also granted bail to former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain till October 21 in connection with a graft case.