Trial against Khaleda deferred until July 27

A Dhaka court Wednesday again deferred until July 27 the deposition of witnesses against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and seven others in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases, reports UNB.

Judge Basudev Roy of the Special Judge Court-3 fixed the date anew as two civil miscellaneous petitions, filed by the BNP chairperson against a High Court order that had rejected her two writ petitions in the two cases, are now pending with the Supreme Court.

The full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice M Muzammel Hossain, is scheduled to hear the petitions on July 13.

On Monday, the BNP chief filed four petitions with the Supreme Court against two High Court orders in connection with the two graft cases.

Of them, two civil miscellaneous petitions were filed against an HC order that had rejected Khaleda's two writ petitions while two criminal petitions for leave-to-appeal were filed against another HC order rejecting two revision appeals seeking to quash the lower court indictment orders against the BNP chief in the two graft cases.

With this, the formal trial against the BNP chief, BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and seven others deferred for the 3rd time.

On May 7, the trial in the Zia Charitable and Orphanage Trust graft cases was shifted to the makeshift court at Alia Madrasah field from Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judges Court.

On March 19, Judge Basudev Roy of the Dhaka's Special Judge Court-3 framed charges against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and seven others rejecting their time petition in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.