I deserve acquittal

Denying the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption allegation, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday claimed that she did not commit any offence and give any benefit to anyone by abusing power during her tenure.

“I am innocent. I am worthy of being acquitted of the graft charges,” Khaleda said in her last day's self-defence statement during hearing of the graft case before a special judge court in Bakshibazar area of Dhaka.

“The allegations brought against me are totally politically motivated, fabricated and unproven,” said Khaleda, also a former prime minister.

Claiming that she was not a member of the trustee board of the Zia Orphanage Trust, Khaleda said, “I was not personally involved in forming the trust, raising its funds and other activities.”

“I did not gain personally by forming the trust and help anyone do so immorally rather when I was prime minister, I discharged my duties with honesty,” said Khaleda.

“The case was filed against me only to keep me away from politics,” she said while completing her self-defence statement.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 recorded her statements and fixed December 19 for arguments in the case.

The court also fixed the same date for placing her self-defence statement in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Earlier in the day, Khaleda surrendered before the court and got bail in the cases. On November 30, the same court issued arrest warrants against her as she failed to appear before it in due time.

Anti-Corruption Commission filed the charitable case on August 8, 2011 and the orphanage case on July 3, 2008 with Tejgaon and Ramna police stations respectively.