DHAKA:   The Appellate Division fixed Monday (October 29) for delivering its order on a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the High Court verdict that cleared the way for the lower court concerned to continue the trial of Zia Charitable Trust Corruption case in her absence.

A seven-member bench issued the order after hearing the appeal petition on Sunday (October 28).

Meanwhile, the trial court of the case (a makeshift court of Dhaka) is set to deliver the verdict of the case on the same day (Monday). 

Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali and Jaynul Abedin appeared for Khaleda Zia while Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti-corruption Commission and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.

The verdict of the trial court depends upon the verdict of Appellate Division, said Jaynul Abedin.

On September 20, judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 gave the order to continue the trial proceedings of the case against Khaleda Zia in her absence.

Khaleda Zia, however, submitted a revision petition against the verdict with the High Court on September 27.

On October 14,   HC cleared the way for the Dhaka Court concerned to continue the trial proceedings of the case against Khaleda Zia in her absence after rejecting her revision petition.

Later on, Khaleda filed the leave-to-appeal petition with the Supreme Court challenging the HC order.

ACC filed the graft case against Khaleda 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: 1558 HRS, OCT 28, 2018

AH/SMS