Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia indicted over graft

DHAKA: Bangladesh's main opposition leader Khaleda Zia along with her fugitive son was today charged for corruption over illegally collecting more than USD 1 million in donations for charities named after her late husband.

Zia, 68, a former Prime Minister and the chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, appeared before a court here to attend hearing in two graft cases.

The court framed charges against 10 persons, including Zia and her son Tarique Rahman.

While six including Zia and Tarique, also the senior vice chairman of the party, were indicted on graft charge relating to Zia Orphanage Trust, four including Khaleda were indicted for corruption in Zia Charitable Trust.

The trial in the case will begin on April 21. The Anti-Corruption Commission ( ACC) in July 2009 filed the Zia Orphanage graft case against the former prime minister, her elder son and four others for embezzling money by forming the "fake" trust.

Another case was filed against her in 2011 for abusing power to set up the Zia Charitable Trust.