Dhaka: The High Court (HC) on Wednesday ordered the transfer of the case of Zia Orphanage Trust graft to Dhaka Senior Special Judge’s Court (Metropolitan Session Judge’s Court) from Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3.

An HC bench of Justice Mohammad Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order in the morning to transfer the case.

The bench also asked the Dhaka Senior Special Judge’s Court to dispose of the case with 60 days.

On 5 March, the bench fixed today (March 8) for passing its order on a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking its order to shift the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case to another court from the existing one.

Earlier on 8 February, Khaleda Zia filed the petition with the High Court.

Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon filed the petition as the BNP chief expressed no-confidence in the lower court dealing with the case.

In the petition, the BNP chief sought an HC rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the case should not be shifted to another court, Khokon said.

Khaleda’s petition also sought a stay order on the case proceedings until the rule is disposed of.

In the petition, it was said, ‘So many cases are under trial process at the Special Judge Court-3 of Abu Ahmed Jamadar. Although the court holds hearings of those cases after a long gap it sets hearing dates in Khaleda’s graft case every week. The court arranges back-to-back dates to harass the BNP chairperson politically. It’s not possible to get justice in this court.’

On 3 February, Khaleda expressed no-confidence in the judge court of M Abu Ahmed Jamadar.

After the hearing, Judge Jamadar rejected the plea and said it was filed to disrupt the trial proceedings.

The ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK after securing bail, and four others for misappropriating over Tk 21. 0 million (2.10 crore) that came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.