Bangladesh issues arrest warrants for ex-PM Zia
IN CONTEMPT Zia has failed to appear in court for two graft cases against her COUNTRY ON THE BOIL
DHAKA: A Bangladesh court issued arrest warrants on Wednesday for former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, action likely to escalate tension fuelling anti-government protests in which more than 100 people have been killed over the past month.
The court issued the warrants after Zia repeatedly failed to show up in court for the hearing of two corruption cases against her, citing security concerns.
Khaleda is accused of embezzling $650,000 in two corruption cases involving charitable funds — Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust — during her last term as prime minister, from 2001 to 2006.
She and leaders of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party have denied the charges, saying they are politically motivated.
Mosharraf Hossain, the state counsel, said next course of action would follow due legal procedures, but it was not immediately clear whether Khaleda will be arrested soon. The next hearing of the case is on March 4.
Khandker Mahbubuddin, a senior lawyer and an adviser to Khaleda, told reporters they would continue to fight the cases.
Khaleda’s elder son, Tarique Rahman, is among nine indicted Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was indicted in two corruption cases in March last year She faces charges of Tarique Rahman is using illegally collected among nine indicted fund to buy in the cases land for a charity Nearly 100 people named after her have died since husband former January 6 when Zia president Ziaur announced protests Rahman to demand that PM Khaleda’s Sheikh Hasina announce elder son new elections
in the cases and the court on Wednesday asked him to appear before the court in person. But it is unlikely that Tarique, who faces several other corruption charges, will be present as he has been living in London since 2008. Tarique is the heir apparent to Khaleda and a senior leader of the party.
Khaleda is currently leading a 20-party opposition alliance, which has been enforcing a nonstop transportation blockade and general strike in the country to demand resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Nearly 100 people have died since January 6 in the violence.