Deposition again deferred in Khaleda cases

A court hearing two graft cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has set a new date for witness deposition after granting her plea for more time. A testimony hearing in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission was scheduled on Sunday. ACC Deputy Director Harun-ur-Rashid, plaintiff in the cases against the BNP chief, was present to depose but the latest order has shifted his testimony to Nov 24. Basudev Roy of Dhaka’s Third Metropolitan Special Judge’s Court gave the order in Khaleda’s presence. The former prime minister, accused of embezzling more than Tk 50 million, arrived at the makeshift court temporarily set up on Bakshibazar’s Government Aliya Madrasa field next to the Dhaha Central Jail, at 11:06am. Her lawyers cited two ‘leave to appeal’ petitions awaiting hearings in the High Court and sought more time before witnesses were heard. The judge granted the plea, and Khaleda left the court after the hearing ended in about 20 minutes. Khaleda’s last appearance in court was on Sept 3. She stayed away from the subsequent ones citing security reasons and the ‘leave to appeals’ filed at the High Cou Court, according to bdnews24.com.