Court to continue Zia Charitable Trust graft trial in Khaleda’s absence

A makeshift court inside the Old Dhaka jailhouse will continue trial proceedings in the Zia Charitable Trust case in the absence of BNP chief Khaleda Zia.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 made the decision upon a petition submitted by the prosecution on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the makeshift court adjourned the hearing of the case, saying that it would hear the issue the following day to decide whether it should continue its proceedings without the BNP chief.

Khaleda failed to appear in court on Thursday as she was ‘sick’.

Earlier, her lawyers filed a petition saying the court inside the jailhouse cannot continue its proceedings without permission from the Supreme Court, bdnews24 reported.

The former prime minister on September 5 appeared in the courtroom and expressed anger over the government’s handling of the case.

At the time, Khaleda, 73, refused to come back to court citing her illness. Khaleda is serving her time behind bars in another graft case.