Dhaka, Apr 29 (UNB) – A court here on Sunday fixed May 31 for charge hearing in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case as Khaleda Zia, one of the four accused, did not turn up citing security reason due to hartal.

Judge Zahurul Haque of Senior Special Judge`s Court passed the order.

The charge hearing was scheduled to be held today.

Two accused - Ziaul Islam Munna, former personal secretary to the former prime minister`s ex-political advisor Harris Chowdhury and Monirul Islam Khan, personal secretary to former mayor of Dhaka City Corporation Sadeque Hossain Khona were present in the court today while Harris Chowdhury, the other accused, has been staying abroad since he left the country immediately after the last caretaker government took offices in early 2007.

Khaleda`s lawyers Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Sanaullah Mia, Iqbal Hossain and others were also present and filed the petition seeking a deferment of the charge hearing submitting that security of Khaleda Zia could be jeopardized since she needed to pass a long way to appear before court from her residence during hartal for the charge hearing today.

The Judge fixed the date following a brief hearing over the petition.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station against the four accused on August 8 last year on charge of corruption in purchasing a land for Zia Charitable Trust and irregularities committed by them in making transaction of the trust fund to the tune of Tk 3.16 crore in 2005.