Bangladesh court defers Khaleda Zia's graft case hearing

A Bangladeshi court on Thursday adjourned till July 23 the hearing of graft cases against former prime minister and BNP chief Khaleda Zia in which she could be jailed for life if found guilty.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the Special Judge Court-three passed the order in presence of Zia in response to two separate petitions filed by the defence seeking an adjournment of the graft cases. Zia, 69, appeared before a makeshift court at Bakshibazar around 10:30 AM (local time) amid heavy security.

This was her third appearance in the court in 10 weeks as she is being tried on two graft charges in which she is accused of misappropriating an amount of Taka 52.5 million involving Zia Orphanage Trust graft and Charitable Trust.

Zia's counsels had submitted two petitions seeking adjournment of Thursday's hearing in the two cases as they had earlier placed a writ petition with the High Court for expunging the recording statement of the complainant in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case which is now pending.

They will submit same petition in connection with Zia Charitable Trust corruption, the lawyers said. As today's court proceedings began, Zia's counsels cross-examined Harun-ur-Rashid in Zia Charitable Trust graft case. His recording statement was completed by the court.

Harun, plaintiff of both the cases, is a deputy director of the Anti Corruption Commission. The court completed recording statement of Harun. Earlier on May 25, Judge Jamadar had adjourned hearing till today in the two graft cases filed against Zia and eight others.

Zia's elder son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party's senior vice president Tarique Rahman, who now lives in London, is a co-accused in the cases while the court earlier declared him "fugitive" as he preferred not to face the trial in person, returning home.

The Anti-Corruption Commission alleged that the two charities existed only in papers and a huge amount of money was misappropriated in the name of the two organisations while Zia was the premier during BNP's 2001-2006 tenure. According to lawyers, Zia and other accused could be jailed for life if found guilty. 

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