Former Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia has reached the special court-5 at the city’s Bakshibazaar area to hear the judgement in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
The BNP chief left her Gulshan residence ‘Firoza’ around 11:45pm and reached the court at 1:46pm amid a tight security.
A huge number of BNP leaders and activists gathered around Khaleda Zia’s motorcade and chanted slogans while escorting her to the court premises.
Judge Dr. Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Court-5 in Dhaka on January 25 fixed February 8 for delivering its verdict in the case after concluding the defense arguments and rebuttal at the court at Alia Madrasa premises in Bakshibazar.
A total of six people including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman are accused of embezzling Tk 21 million in foreign donation meant for the Trust.
The prosecution on December 19 concluded argument in the case and sought the highest punishment for Khaleda and other accused.
On January 16, Khaleda’s defence arguments ended with the defence lawyers praying to the court for her acquittal.
The ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, who is now living in the UK after securing bail, and four others for misappropriating over 21 million that came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.