Bangladesh’s main Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia went on trial on Monday accused of embezzling about US $680,000 in two corruption cases that could see her jailed for life if found guilty.
69-year-old Zia’s trial in the two corruption cases — Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust — began with the recording of the deposition of a witness in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson’s absence.
Partial deposition of plaintiff Harun-ur-Rashid, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), was recorded at Judge Bashudeb Roy of Special Judge’s Court.
The trial of Zia, who has twice served as the country’s Prime Minister, is being held at a makeshift court in Bakshibazar here.
Earlier in the day, the court of Dhaka’s Third Metropolitan Sessions Judge Roy rejected the defence counsels’ plea to defer recording witnesses in the case filed by the ACC.