NN Online:
The Appellate Division on Wednesday acquitted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, and others in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, overturning the sentences previously imposed by both the High Court and a trial court.
A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, pronounced the verdict, said senior lawyer Joynul Abedin who stood for the defendants.
The court in its observation said the case was filed out of vengeance against the accused.
On Tuesday, the court concluded the hearing on the appeals of Khaleda and others against their conviction in graft case and fixed Wednesday to deliver the judgment.
The hearing on the appeals began on January 7, with the court addressing the separate appeals of Khaleda Zia, Sharafuddin Ahmed and Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal.
Senior lawyers Joynul Abedin, Mahbub Uddin Khokon, M Badaruddin Badal, and Kaiser Kamal, among others, represented Khaleda Zia during the hearing.
Barrister Mohammad Ruhul Quddus Kajal appeared on behalf of Khaleda and Sharafuddin Ahmed, while senior lawyer SM Shahjahan represented Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal.
Additional Attorney General Mohammad Arshadur Rauf and Aneek R Haque represented the state while lawyer Asif Hasan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Khaleda, also a former prime minister, filed the leave to appeal petitions with the Appellate Division on March 14, 2019 through his lawyer challenging the HC verdict.
Khaleda Zia was initially imprisoned on February 8, 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 October 30 of the same year raised her jail term to 10 years.
The graft case
The Zia Orphanage Trust graft case was filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in July 2008, accusing Khaleda of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 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 Khaleda and three others of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources and abusing power.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government, through an executive order on March 25, 2020, temporarily released Khaleda Zia from jail by suspending her sentence, on the condition that she remain at her Gulshan residence and not leave the country.
Since then, her release term was extended every six months following the family’s pleas.
On August 6 last year, Khaleda Zia was completely freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
The president passed the order under Article 49 of the Bangladesh Constitution, according to a gazette issued by the home ministry on August 6, last year.
