ZIA TRUSTS CASES : Trial to be held every Thursday

The Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 on Monday decided to hold the trial of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and seven others in Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases on every Thursday.
The judge of the court, Md Abu Ahmed Jamadar, passed the order after consulting the prosecution and the defence counsel in the makeshift courtroom set up in Dhaka central jail parade ground.
The court, however, adjourned the trial till August 27 as the defence counsel sought time saying that they would remain busy for the elections to the Bangladesh Bar Council scheduled for August 26.
It recorded the cross-examination of the plaintiff of the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Charitable Trust case, Anti Corruption Commission deputy director, Harun-or-Rashid, allowing an application filed by Khaleda for exempting her from appearing before the court on the day on health ground.
Khaleda’s counsel told the court that she might need to go abroad for medical treatment.
In response to a prosecution application, the court, however, asked authorities concerned to restrict any foreign travel of another accused Ziaul Islam Munna, the suspended Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority official who had served as assistant private secretary to the then prime minister Khaleda Zia’s political secretary Harris Chowdhury.
It also asked Ziaul to submit his passport to the court.
Harun made his testimony as the first prosecution witness in the charitable trust case on May 25.
In cross-examination by Ziaul’s defence counsel Aminul Islamon Monday, Harun, also the investigation officer of the case, admitted that the first information report of the case did not name any supervising officer although the law stipulated a provision for engaging a supervising officer in every case.
He denied a suggestion that he started the inquiry in reference to a letter issued in October 2009, but filed the case on January 8, 2011, breaching the Anti-Corruption Commission Rules 2007.
He said that he had not visited the BNP office but had interviewed the then BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and the then Dhaka district BNP president Abdul Mannan.
He said that he was not aware that the late lieutenant colonel Akbar Hossain used to look after the donations collected for the trust.
Harun admitted that BNP leader Shariful Islam Pacha’s name came up during the inquiry but he could not find out Shariful.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net