Zia Orphanage Trust case: Decision tomorrow on whether Khaleda Zia can appeal for jail sentence reversal
Filed on 14 March 2019 through her lawyer, the BNP chairperson’s petitions seek to overturn the High Court's order that extended her prison term from five to 10 years
The Supreme Court's Appellate Division has scheduled tomorrow (11 November) for the ruling on whether BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia can appeal for a reversal of her jail sentence in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
A bench led by Appellate Division Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam today (10 November) set the date after hearing two leave-to-appeal petitions, where she challenged a High Court ruling that increased her jail sentence in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
During the hearing, Khaleda Zia was represented by lawyers Zainul Abedin, Ruhul Quddus Kazal, and Kayser Kamal, while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman appeared for the state.
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Filed on 14 March 2019 through her lawyer, Khaleda's petitions seek to overturn the High Court's order that extended her prison term from five to 10 years. Khaleda Zia has asked the top court to nullify this extended sentence.
Khaleda Zia was initially imprisoned on 8 February 2018, when a special court in Dhaka sentenced her to five years in prison for her involvement in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft incident.
Later, in response to an appeal by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the High Court, on 30 October of the same year, increased her sentence to 10 years.
The Zia Orphanage graft case was filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in July 2008, accusing Khaleda of misappropriating over Tk2.10 crore that was received as grants for orphans via a foreign bank.
In August 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station, accusing four people, including Khaleda, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources and abusing power.
The 78-year-old former prime minister has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, eye problems, and post-Covid complications.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order by suspending her sentence on 25 March 2020, with the condition that she would stay at her Gulshan house and not leave the country.
Since then, her release term has been extended every six months following the family's plea.
On 3 November this year, the High Court allowed Khaleda to begin preparations for paper books in her separate appeal against a lower court's ruling that sentenced her to seven years in prison in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.
