The Appellate Division has scheduled the next hearing for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's appeal against the 10-year sentence handed down by the High Court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case for Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, issued this order.
Senior lawyers Zainul Abedin, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol, Advocate Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal and Advocate Maksud Ullah appeared for Khaleda Zia, while Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman represented the state and Advocate Asif Hossain appeared for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
During the hearing, Khaleda Zia’s lawyers argued that the sentence handed down by the High Court was a severe violation of the law.
They also claimed that the money allegedly frauded from the Zia Orphanage Trust is still secured in the account.
They argued that the ruling was made to prevent Khaleda Zia from participating in elections.
Previously, on February 8, 2018, a lower court sentenced Khaleda Zia to 5 years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case and five other defendants were sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each.
The case accused Khaleda Zia of frauding government funds through the orphanage trust.
On the same day, the Special Judge’s Court-5 in Dhaka, led by Judge Akhtaruzzaman, sentenced her son Tarique Rahman and five others to 10 years of imprisonment each, along with a fine of Tk2.1 million for each defendant.
The other defendants in the case were former Chief Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique, former MP and businessman Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharafuddin Ahmed and Khaleda Zia’s nephew Mominur Rahman.
Tarique Rahman, Kamal Uddin Siddique and Mominur Rahman remain fugitives.
After that Khaleda Zia appealed the ruling in the High Court, which, on October 30, 2018, increased her sentence to 10 years in prison.
She filed a leave-to-appeal petition against the High Court’s verdict, which had been pending for a long time due to a lack of legal representation.
On November 11, 2024, the Appellate Division granted permission for the leave-to-appeal petition and stayed the 10-year sentence.
The court also directed that Khaleda Zia's sentence be suspended until the appeal is resolved and ordered her to submit a summary of the appeal within two weeks.
The hearing is scheduled to proceed before the Appellate Division lately.
