The special court set up in the capital's Bakshibazar yesterday expressed disappointment over the regular delay of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in appearing before it.

The court was hearing the closing arguments of the defence counsel in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. 

In response, Khaleda's lawyers cited traffic jam as the reason for yesterday's delay.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 did not accept it and requested Khaleda to appear before the court on time.

When Khaleda entered the courtroom, her counsel AJ Mohammad Ali started his unfinished arguments before the court. The judge then asked why they appeared before the court around   noon when the court proceedings were supposed to start at 9:30am.

The judge also requested Mahmud Ali, also a former attorney general, to complete their arguments yesterday, which caused a commotion among Khaleda's lawyers.

Khaleda's lawyers prayed to the court for taking legal action against six of the prosecution team for providing "fabricated" documents and "false" testimonials in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The six prosecution team members are Harun-or-Rashid, investigation officer of the case, and prosecution witnesses -- Sheikh Jaglul Pasha, Majed Ali, Touhidur Rahman Khan, Mostafa Kamal Majumder and Abdul Barek Bhuiyan.  

Three senior counsels of Khaleda -- Abdur Rezzak Khan, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and AJ Mohammad Ali -- have concluded their arguments that started on December 24.

Jamir Uddin Sircar, another senior counsel for Khaleda, yesterday started his arguments before the court. 

On July 3, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case with Ramna Police Station, accusing Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.1 crore that was received as grants for orphans via a foreign bank.

According to the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, Khaleda, the then prime minister, and other accused through unlawful practices embezzled over Tk 2.10 crore by establishing the trust that exists only on paper.

On December 19, ACC Chief Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol sought life imprisonment for Khaleda and five other accused after placing his closing argument in the case.645654655456456456456456465