Dhaka: The Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 on Thursday fixed September 17 for the next hearing on the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and other BNP leaders.

Judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 Abu Ahmed Jomadar fixed the date today (Thursday) after seven witnesses were cross-examined in presence of the BNP chairperson.

The BNP chairperson reached the Special Judge’s Court-3, set up on the playground of Govt Alia Madrasah in the capital’s Bakshibazar area, around 10:55am.

However, the proceedings had started nearly half an hour before she reached the court. The court then started hearing the testimony of former DGM of Sonali Bank’s PMO Branch Md Hafizur Rahman. Khaleda left the court premises around 1:50pm.

Earlier on September 3, Khaleda Zia skipped hearing in the graft cases against her on the ground of her illness.

During the hearing on September 3, the court recorded the depositions of three more witnesses in her absence and adjourned till September 10 the hearing on the two graft cases.

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.

ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid, also an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012.

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

On August 5, 2010, Harunur Rashid submitted a charge- sheet to the court in the case against six people, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.