Chargesheet filed against Khaleda Zia in orphanage fund graft case

Dhaka, Aug 6 (ANI): The Bangladesh Anti Corruption Commission has pressed charges against opposition leader and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others for embezzlement of Tk 2.10 crore by forming the fraudulent Zia Orphanage Trust.

This is the first move by an anti-graft body against high profile graft suspects since the Awami League-led grand alliance came to power last year.

A chargesheet has also been filed against former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque, Zia's nephew Mominur Rahman, Sharfuddin Ahmed, and former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) had appealed to the court to issue arrest warrants against Kamal Siddiqui and Mominur and to order the attachment of their properties as they are absconding.

On July 3 last year, the ACC had filed a case with the Ramna Police Station accusing Zia, Rahman and five others. Zia is also an accused in the Gatco, Niko and Barapukuria graft cases while Rahman was booked in 15 other cases, says the Daily Star.

Of the accused, Zia, Rahman, Haq, and Ahmed were granted bails from the High Court. Earlier the court had stayed the proceedings of all three cases against Zia and Rahman.(ANI)