Zia orphanage trust case deferred for third time
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
A special judge's court Tuesday has postponed the date for the framing of charges in the Zia Orphanage Trust case for the third time.
Following an application by defence lawyers for additional time, special court-3 acting Judge Nasiruddin Mahmud set September 15 as the new hearing date, reports bdnews24.com.
The defence lawyers also told the court that an application to stay proceedings was now pending in the High Court (HC), following a petition filed last year by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman, the two main accused in the case.
None of the accused was present during the proceedings.
The HC on February 3 had ordered the trial court to take into consideration the lawyers' appeal for time until the HC had dealt with the matter.
The case, filed on July 3, 2008, accuses Khaleda, Tarique and four others of embezzling more than Tk 20 million from the Zia Orphanage Trust, which allegedly existed 'only on paper.' The charge sheet was submitted on August 5 the same year.
The others who were accused include late President Ziaur Rahman's nephew Mominur Rahman, former bureaucrat Dr Kamaludddin Siddiqui and former BNP MP Quazi Salimul Haq.
Kamal and Momin remain fugitives. Khaleda and Tarique have both received bail in the case. Tarique is currently taking treatment in the UK.
Following an application by defence lawyers for additional time, special court-3 acting Judge Nasiruddin Mahmud set September 15 as the new hearing date, reports bdnews24.com.
The defence lawyers also told the court that an application to stay proceedings was now pending in the High Court (HC), following a petition filed last year by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman, the two main accused in the case.
None of the accused was present during the proceedings.
The HC on February 3 had ordered the trial court to take into consideration the lawyers' appeal for time until the HC had dealt with the matter.
The case, filed on July 3, 2008, accuses Khaleda, Tarique and four others of embezzling more than Tk 20 million from the Zia Orphanage Trust, which allegedly existed 'only on paper.' The charge sheet was submitted on August 5 the same year.
The others who were accused include late President Ziaur Rahman's nephew Mominur Rahman, former bureaucrat Dr Kamaludddin Siddiqui and former BNP MP Quazi Salimul Haq.
Kamal and Momin remain fugitives. Khaleda and Tarique have both received bail in the case. Tarique is currently taking treatment in the UK.