A Court of Dhaka refixed August 30 yesterday for hearing of embezzlement charges against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, her elder son and four other accused persons of Zia Orphanage Trust case.

Senior Metropolitan Special Judge of Dhaka ANM Bashirullah passed the order in absence of all accused including the former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia other X-two accused persons are former MP Kazi Salimul Haque and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, while other two accused former Principal Secretary Dr. Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and former President Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Mominur Rahman are at large.

Meanwhile, Begum Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Jaynal Abedin Mesbah told the Court, his client could not appear before the Court for security reasons. He added, if security is ensured, she would not have any problem to come to the Court. He sought an order from the Court to ensure the security of Begum Khaleda Zia.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) pressed charge in the Court against Begum Khaleda Zia, her elder son and four others in the case on August 5. The accused persons have been facing charges for embezzling Taka two crore ten lakh seventy one thousand 671 of orphans through mutual conspiracy.

The Zia Orphanage Trust scam case was filed with Ramna Police Station of the city against the accused on July 3, 2008. The First Information Report (FIR) of the case says, in 1991 Taka four crore was deposited to the Relief Fund of the Prime Minister from a foreign Bank of that Taka two crore thirty three lakh was allotted to Zia Orphanage Trust. Then premier Khaleda Zia, her son Tareque Rahman and former President Zia’s nephew Mominur Rahman were made members of the Trust. The accused allegedly embezzled the money and they did not do any cooperative work for the orphans. Later, they withdrew Taka two crore ten lakh 71 lakh 671 from the New Eskaton branch of Prime Bank.

Advocate Mosharraf Hossain Kajal moved the case on behalf of the prosecution, while Advocates Sanaullah Mia, Khorshed Alam, Masud Ahmed Talukder and others moved the case on behalf of the defence.