Khaleda Zia jailed for 7 years in Zia Charitable corruption case

Staff Correspondent: Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and three others have been jailed for seven years in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Court-5 pronounced the verdict on Monday noon in the graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2011. The court also fined them Tk 20 lakh each, in default, to suffer six months more in jail.     

The three other convicted in the case are Harris Chowdhury, political secretary of the then Prime Minister Khaleda; Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary to Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka city Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

Law enforcement agencies took all necessary preparations to tackle any possible chaos centering the verdict.

On October 16, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman fixed October 29 for pronouncing the verdict after completing the trial proceedings.

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

The appellate division rejected a leave-to-appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking cancellation of the High Court order clearing the way for continuation of the trial proceedings in the case in her absence.

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

On September 20, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court 5 decided to continue the trial proceedings in the absence of the main accused.

On September 27, the BNP chairperson filed the writ petition with the High Court challenging a lower court’s decision.

The BNP chairperson is now undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) under a special medical board formed by the government.

In 2011, the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Charitable Trust case with Tejgaon police station against four persons, including Khaleda Zia, on charges of raising and embezzling fund in the name of the trust.

risingbd/Dhaka/Oct 29, 2018/Mahidi/Mukul