DHAKA: A Dhaka court Wednesday asked to continue recording deposition in the Zia Charitable and Orphanage Trust graft cases rejecting time plea of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Justice Basudeb Roy of the court Special Judge-3 passed the order after hearing the time petition as the BNP chief could not appear before the court showing security reason.

The court also issued a verbal order to Khaleda and other accused asking them to appear before it on next scheduled day.

The deposition in the two cases was scheduled to begin on Wednesday (December 17) at the makeshift court, set up at Alia Madrasa ground.

Khaleda’s lawyer submitted the time petitions before the court saying that the BNP chief filed no confidence petitions with the High Court seeking its transfer order of the cases from the court.

Rejecting the pleas, the court said that there is no bar to continue recording the deposition as the High Court did not issue any stay order on the trial proceedings of the cases.

On May 12, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has challenged the indictment against her in the trust graft cases.

On March 19, the Special Judge Court-3 framed charges against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, its senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and six others rejecting their time petition in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.

On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.   

ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid, also an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012.

Besides, the ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.

BDST: 1458 HRS, DEC 17, 2014