The High Court has accepted to hear the appeal petition filed by former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque, who was convicted along with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
A High Court bench of Justices M Enayetur Rahim and Sahidul Karim passed the order on Wednesday. The court also ordered that fines imposed on the ex-lawmaker be stayed.
Hearing on the appeal petition will be held along with the hearing on appeal filed by Khaleda Zia.
Lawyer Shah Manjurul Haque represented the accused in the court, while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC). Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin represented the state.
Salimul, who is in jail, filed the appeal with High Court bench concerned through his lawyer on Tuesday.
On February 8, Judge Dr Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka’s Fifth Special Judge Court sentenced BNP chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia to five years’ imprisonment in the case and five other accused, including Salimul, to 10 years’ imprisonment. Each of the convicts was also fined Tk2.10 crore.
The other four convicts are Tarique Rahman, Khaleda’s elder son and BNP acting chairman; Sharfuddin Ahmed, a businessman; Mominur Rahman, a cousin of Tarique; and Kamal Uddin Siddique, principal secretary to then prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Khaleda, who has been in prison since, filed an appeal with the High Court on February 20, challenging the verdict.
On February 22, she filed a separate petition with the court, seeking bail in the case.
The same day the High Court accepted Khaleda’s appeal and stayed the Tk2.10 crore fine slapped on her by the lower court.
After hearing her bail plea, the High Court on February 25 said it would pass its order on the bail prayer upon receiving the case records from the lower court that was directed to send the documents within 15 workdays.This article was first published on banglatribune.com
Thursday, March 27, 2025
