Graft cases against Khaleda: January 7 set for next hearing

The special judge’s court on Wednesday set January 7 for the next hearing of Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases against Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia.Khaleda Zia, heavily guarded by party-men and police, left the court premises at around 1:10pm. The activists also chanted various slogans.Amid tight security and chase and counter-chase Khaleda Zia arrived at the special judge’s court to appear in the hearing of those two graft cases.Agitation erupted at the special judge’s court area of Bakshibazar in Old Dhaka as police fired tear gas canisters to disperse rival activists as the motorcade of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia entered in to the court premises, this noon.BNP activists claimed that Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling party’s student wing activists in connivance with the law enforcers, launched attacks on them.BNP chairperson reached the court premises at around 12:25 pm.

Five layers of police barricade were set up with water cannon vehicle and armed personnel carriers readily parked around the special judge’s court area in the morning.Several hundred policemen were deployed around the court premises at Alia madrasha field area of Bakhsibazar in Old Dhaka, where the special makeshift court has been set up. All shops around the court were seen closed as BNP activists were started appearing in the court premises.UNB adds: Leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies were seen to stage a showdown in Bakshibazar and its adjacent areas centring the arrival of their leader at the court.A stray incident of chase and counter-chase took place between Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and BNP activists before the BNP chairperson reached the court area, leaving 10-15 injured.The clash ensued as a group of BCL activists attacked the BNP men while staging showdown outside the court centring the arrival of Khaleda.
A micro bus was set on fire during the melee.Later, law enforcers lobbed several rounds of teargas shells and brought the situation under control.Earlier on December 18, the government appointed Judge Abu Ahmed Jamaddar after transferring Judge Bashudev Roy, who had been dealing with the two corruption cases against Khaleda and eight others following Khaleda’s repeated request to the High Court.Our correspondent adds: On March 19, Bashudev Roy had framed charges against Khaleda Zia and eight others in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases reportedly without reading out the charges of the accused as required by the law, triggering demonstration in the court area that led a legal debate.The special court has set today for testifying witnesses in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.
(Updated)

Courtesy: http://newagebd.net/79488/graft-cases-against-khaleda-january-7-set-for-next-hearing/#sthash.ZMMvmLHi.dpbs