In Bangladesh, the supreme court on Wednesday acquitted Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and others in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. The court headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed pronounced the verdict unanimously acquitting Khaleda, former prime Minister of Bangladesh, and others who were convicted and sentenced by the lower court in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, reports BSS.
The court came up with the judgment cancelling the High Court order that extended Begum Khaleda Zia’s initial five-year jail term to 10 in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, and a lower court order that initially convicted them all.
The court in its observation said the case was filed out of vengeance against the accused.
The apex court on November 11, 2024, allowed two leave to appeal petitions filed by BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, staying the High Court order that extended her five-year jail term to 10 in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
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.
Khaleda, 79, currently admitted in a hospital in London, who has been suffering from multiple health complications, including arthritis, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, and kidney ailments, requires specialised care unavailable in Bangladesh, according to her doctors.
Khaleda’s son and acting chairman of BNP, Tarique Rahman, who is co-accused in the case, has gone into self-imposed exile in London.
