Court orders to run trial in Khaleda’s absence

The trial proceedings in Zia Charitable trust case will be run in absence of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 came up with the order following a petition of the State on Thursday.

He said that lawyers of Khaleda Zia can represent her during trial proceedings in the court.

Khaleda Zia didn’t attend the court today also like previous two date. In this regard, jail authority sent a custody warrant that said Khaleda expressed her inability to attend the court.

On August 8, 2010, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case at the Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power by raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

The other three accused are Khaleda’s former Political Secretary Haris Chowdhury, then- Personal Secretary to Haris, Ziaul Islam Munna, and Monirul Islam Khan, then-personal secretary of Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka.

The same court on February 8 awarded Khaleda to five-year jail in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. Khaleda, accused in over 34 cases, is currently serving the five-year jail term.