DHAKA: BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia filed a leave to appeal petition with the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict that extended her jail term to 10 years from five years in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. 

Khaleda’s lawyer filed the petition to the apex court on Thursday (Mar 14), seeking acquittal from the charges and bail in the case.

Barrister Kayser Kamal, lawyer of teh BNP Chairperson, said that they filed the petition to department concerned of appellate division challenging the extended jail term for Khaleda Zia and also sought bail in the case.

Earlier on Oct 30 last year, the High Court enhanced the jail term to 10 years from five years for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Judgment for the other five accused in the same case, who were handed over 10-year imprisonment each, remained unchanged.   

An HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Md Mostafizur Rahman pronounced the verdict, declaring an ACC rule ‘appropriate’ that sought increase in the punishment. 

The court also rejected the pleas that sought acquittal of four accused including Khaleda Zia.

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

Later Khaleda’s lawyers filed an appeal against the verdict with the High Court seeking bail for her. On March 12, the HC granted four months bail to Khaleda Zia. The bail afterwards was extended more.

The government and ACC filed an appeal against the HC bail order with the Supreme Court. On May 16, the SC upheld the bail order and asked HC to hear and dispose of her appeals in the case by July 31. 

Later Khaleda Zia’s lawyers filed a petition with SC seeking a review of its order. On Thursday (July 5), the chamber court of the appellate division fixed July 9 for a full bench hearing of the review petition. 

Of the six convicts of Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, 3 convicts including Khaleda Zia are in jail while three others are absconding.

Khaleda Zia’s elder son and BNP vice chairman Tarique Rahman and four others were given 10 years imprisonment in the same case. The court fined them Tk. 2.10 crore each.

In July 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case accusing Khaleda Zia, her son BNP's senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore grant money for orphans.

BDST: 1416 HRS, Mar 14, 2019
RS