Khaleda gets bail in graft cases

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today got bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases after she surrendered before a makeshift court in Bakhshibazar of Dhaka.

Judge Md Akhteruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 passed the order after she appeared before it seeking bail in the cases.

Meanwhile, the court set November 19 for arguments as Khaleda completed her self-defence statement in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case this afternoon.

On the same day, the court will hear defence witnesses account in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Pleading justice before the court, Khaleda in her statement alleged that the graft cases were filed to keep her away from politics.

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 (ACC) 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.