Zia, son to face trial in orphanage donation embezzlement case

Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia and her elder son will face trial for allegedly embezzling over Rs 1.41 crore meant for an orphanage "which existed only in papers", a court here ruled today.

The court of Dhaka metropolitan special judge ANM Bashirullah accepted charges pressed by the Anti-Corruption Commission against the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader as she appeared on the dock under tight security.

The judge set October 25 for indictment hearing against Zia and five other defendants including her elder son Tarique Rahman for embezzling over Taka 2.10 crore for an orphanage trust "which exists only in papers".

Witnesses said dozens of pro-BNP lawyers including ex-speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and party's secretary general Khondokar Delwar Hossain stood for Zia claiming her innocence as she appeared at the court escorted by police.

The judge also issued arrest warrants against defendants Mominur Rahman, nephew of Khaleda, and former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui as they did not appear in court despite being summoned earlier.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) last month pressed a fresh charge against Zia, her elder son who is now staying in London and the four others for embezzling the money.
This was the first such case against the ex-premier since the installation of her archrival Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government after the December 29, 2008 general elections.  

Zia and her two sons, currently staying abroad, were already facing 20 graft cases. The Zia Orphanage Trust was named after Zia's assassinated husband president Ziaur Rahman.

The ACC alleged that the accused received about Taka 2.10 crore from United Saudi Commercial Bank in 1991 for the welfare of orphans but the Zia family "in connivance with other accused withdrew the money by issuing four cheques and embezzled the amount".

Installed with crucial military support, the past interim administration launched a massive anti-graft campaign that saw the arrest of nearly 200 high profile people, mostly politicians while Hasina and Zia too were detained in jail for nearly one year to face the trial.

Hasina and Zia were freed on an government "executive order" and High Court bail respectively before the elections. A total of 36 people have been listed as state witnesses in the orphanage case. The Supreme Court last month upheld the previous High Court bail orders secured by both Khaleda and Tarique in the case.

Khaleda's lawyers alleged that the government headed by Awami League did not cancel the case in an attempt to take "revenge", though it had withdrawn many cases filed for political persecution. Advocate Khandaker Delwar Hossain said there was no embezzlement and land was bought with the money.