Kabir Humayun: The government took multi-layer security measures at the old Dhaka central Jail in Old Dhaka’s Nazimuddin Road yesterday as the trial proceedings in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was held there for the first time.
Previously, the trail proceedings in the corruption case have taken place at a makeshift court in Bakshibazar area of Old Dhaka, reports The Daily Star.
The BNP chief was sentenced to a five-year-imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8. Since then, she is now in the jail.
A huge number of law enforcers were deployed at all entry points to the jail and no journalists allowed to enter the jail premises with cameras.
Khaleda’s lawyers staged a sit-in at Special Judge Court-5, set up in Bakshibazar area, protesting the shifting of the court in the morning.
Shifting the court to the jail is “unconstitutional” and “illegal”, said Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Advocate Zainul Abedin.
The law ministry issued a gazette Tuesday, saying the proceedings in the Zia Charitable Trust case would now be held at the old Dhaka central jail.
The decision was made taking Khaleda’s security into consideration, it said.
The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case against Khaleda and three others with Tejgaon Police Station in August, 2011.
According to the case statement, the former prime minister and three others abused their power and raised funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The three others are Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to the then PM Khaleda, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.