HC rejects Khaleda\\\'s plea

The High Court on Wednesday turned down BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's petitions challenging her indictment in two corruption cases – Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases. The HC bench of Justice Borhanuddin and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order around 2:00pm. Earlier, the bench had heard arguments over Khaleda Zia’s petitions seeking a quashment order over her indictment in the two graft cases filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC). On March 19, the Special Judge’s Court-3 of Dhaka framed charges against Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and seven others in the cases, and fixed April 23 for recording depositions of witnesses. Khaleda Zia, the widow of late President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of BNP, filed two separate revision petitions with the HC on Apr 13 seeking cancellation of the indictment orders against her and eight others. Khaleda was indicted in both cases, and Tarique, also the senior vice-chairman of the BNP, in the orphanage case.
Zia Orphanage Trust graft case
The ACC filed the case against Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others on July 3, 2009, accusing them of misappropriating over Tk 20.1 million by forming the “fake” trust. The four other accused are former BNP MP Kazi Salimul Haque, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, former principal secretary Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Momenur Rahman, nephew of late President Ziaur Rahman.
Zia Charitable Trust graft case
The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon police station against Khaleda Zia and three others on August 8, 2011, for abusing power in setting up the charity named after late president Ziaur Rahman. The three other accused are Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda’s former political secretary; Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) of Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, according to a news agency.