The judge dealing with the Zia Charitable Trust graft case left the courtroom on Wednesday amid a chaos created by the prosecution and defence counsels, halting the trial proceedings for 15 minutes.

Citing the Tuesday’s Sylhet visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Aminul Islam, counsel of accused Ziaul Islam Munna, former acting director (naval security and traffic) of BIWTA, said, ‘While one (Hasina) is seeking vote in rally, another (Khaleda Zia) is appearing at the court.’

An altercation ensued between the prosecution and defence lawyers when Anti-Corruption Commission counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kajal obstructed Aminul, reports the UNB.

At one stage, Judge Md Akhteruzzaman asked them to stop their altercation.

As they did not pay heed to the judge’s order, he left the courtroom.

After 15 minutes, he returned to the courtroom and resumed the trial proceeding.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was present during the hearing.

Meanwhile, the court fixed Thursday as the next date of hearing in the case.

On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.