DHAKA, Feb 22, 2018 (BSS) – The High Court (HC) today accepted an appeal of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia against a lower court verdict that convicted her in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
“The High Court division bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order, staying the fine imposed by Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 on Khaleda,” defence counsel Zainul Abedin told newsmen.
The court also set Sunday next to hold hearing on a bail plea for the BNP chief, asking the lower court concerned to send the case documents within 15 days to it.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and advocate Khurshid Alam Khan took part in the hearing for the state and complainant Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) respectively, while senior jurist AJ Mohammad Ali stood for Khaleda.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed Khaleda’s bail plea, saying, the matter have to come on the court’s cause list first and only then it can be heard.
ACC counsel Khurshid Alam Khan also reiterated Alam’s point, saying, the ACC should get logical time before taking part in the hearing.
“The defence gave us the documents on their bail plea only this morning. It is not logical at all. The matter has to come on the cause list first,” Khan said.
After that the High Court set Sunday to hold hearing on the bail plea.
Earlier on February 20, the defence filed the 1223-page appeal petition with the concerned department of the High Court.
They sought Khaleda’s acquittal on from the charges on 44 grounds.
On February 19, counsels of Khaleda Zia received the 1174-page certified copy of the verdict from the office of Judge Dr Akhteruzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5.
ACC counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kazal also received a copy of the verdict on that afternoon.
On February 8, the court sentenced Khaleda Zia to five-year imprisonment in the case.
It also sentenced other five accused, including Khaleda’s elder son and BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, to 10-year imprisonment each.
The other accused are former lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, and Khaleda’s nephew Mominur Rahman.
The court also fined the convicts Taka 2.10 crore each for their role in the scam.
Khaleda is now in old Dhaka Central Jail located in capital’s Nazimuddin Road.