By Mizan Rahman / Dhaka

A Dhaka court yesterday adjourned till August 3 hearing on the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases against Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka special judge’s court-3 fixed the date in response to a time petition filed by Khaleda’s lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.
The court fixed the date after the hearing of partial statement of the anti-corruption commission (ACC) deputy director Harunur Rashid, who is the plaintiff of Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
Khaleda reached a parade ground of the Dhaka central jail directorate court site at Bakshibazar area at around 10:45am.
Her counsel Sanaullah Mia said on Wednesday that Khaleda Zia respected the law, and she was likely to appear before the court soon.
Earlier on June 18, the special judge’s court-3 adjourned till July 23 the hearing on the two graft cases against Khaleda.
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 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 for misappropriating over 21mn taka 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.