DHAKA: A Dhaka special court on Monday (Oct 29) sentenced BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 3 others to 7 years jail each, in much-hyped Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Moreover, all the four convicts have been fined Tk10 lakh each. They have to serve more 6 months in jail each, in case of defying the fine.

Three other convicts are—Khaleda Zia’s former political affairs secretary Harris Chowdhury, his former aide and former BIWTA acting director Ziaul Islam Munna, and former Dhaka city corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka’s personal secretary Monirul Islam Khan

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge Court--5 passed the order, at noon.

Khaeda Zia, who is now behind the bar in another graft case, didn’t appear before the court during the judgment.

Earlier in the morning, the appellate division of the Supreme Court cleared way for the lower court to continue the trial in Zia Charitable Trust Corruption case in Khaleda Zia’s absence.

The appellate division rejected a petition of her challenging a High Court verdict that ordered to continue the trial in her absence. 

A seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order.

ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) filed the graft case against Khaleda Zia and three others with Tejgaon Police Station on August 8, 2010 for embezzling Tk3.15 crore from Zia Charitable Trust.

On February 8, a Dhaka court sentenced Khaleda Zia to five years imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust case. 

She was sent to Dhaka central jail following the verdict. Since then, she has been in jail.

BDST: 1252 HRS, OCT 29, 2018
SI/SMS