Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday enhanced the jail term of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from five years to 10 years in Zia Orphanage Trust case.
The court also upheld the 10 years’ punishment awarded to Kazi Salimul Haque and Sharfuddin Ahmed in the same case.
The court delivered the verdict after accepting a revision petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking enhancement of the punishment of the BNP Chief and dismissing the appeal petitions of Khaleda Zia, Kazi Salimul Haque and Sharfuddin Ahmed challenging the lower court verdict against them.
The HC Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman delivered the verdict as it heard the appeal and revision petitions earlier.
No lawyer for Khaleda and other accused of the case was present in the courtroom at the time of announcement of the judgement.
The Bench did not say anything about other convicts, as they did not file any appeal but absconding. It means their punishment handed by the lower court will remain in force.
Khaleda cannot contest polls unless SC scraps punishment, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam after the announcement of the verdict.
“Khaleda Zia cannot contest any Parliamentary election unless the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court scraps her punishment. If the apex court stays the High Court verdict that enhanced her sentence to 10 years of imprisonment from five years’ imprisonment, she can get release from jail, but she cannot contest the election unless the SC cancels the HC verdict,” he said.
The Attorney General was briefing reporters after the HC delivered its judgement on the appeal petitions in connection with Zia Orphanage Trust case.
Replying to a question, Mahbubey Alam said, the HC judgement is a message for the politicians.
It indicates that if anybody commits offence remaining in the state power, he or she is not above the law.
On February 8, 2018, Judge of the Special Court-5 in Dhaka, Dr. Md Akhtaruzzaman, sentenced the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for five years after she was found guilty in the Zia Orphanage Trust case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Her eldest son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and four others, former lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Khaleda’s former Principal Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Momenur Rahman, have been given 10 years jail in the case and a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each in the case.
The Zia Orphanage Trust was set up by Khaleda’s two sons and a nephew. It was registered on September 5, 1993.
The Anti-Corruption Commission on July 3 in 2008 filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing six persons, including Khaleda Zia and BNP’s Senior Vice-Chairman and her son Tarique Rahman. The other accused are: former lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Khaleda’s former Principal Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Momenur Rahman.
Of them, Kamal Uddin and Momenur are on the run.
On March 21, 2014, a Dhaka court framed charges against the six accused.
According to complainant, a grant of $1,255,000 was transferred from the United Saudi Commercial Bank to the Prime Minister’s Orphanage Fund. The fund was created by the then Premier Khaleda Zia shortly before the transfer was made on June 9, 1991.
The complainant alleged that the fund was created as part of the embezzlement scheme, and only Khaleda Zia administered the fund.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the same trial court delivered a seven-year jail term to Khaleda in the Zia Charitable Trust case.
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday enhanced the jail term of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from five years to 10 years in Zia Orphanage Trust case.
The court also upheld the 10 years’ punishment awarded to Kazi Salimul Haque and Sharfuddin Ahmed in the same case.
The court delivered the verdict after accepting a revision petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking enhancement of the punishment of the BNP Chief and dismissing the appeal petitions of Khaleda Zia, Kazi Salimul Haque and Sharfuddin Ahmed challenging the lower court verdict against them.
The HC Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman delivered the verdict as it heard the appeal and revision petitions earlier.
No lawyer for Khaleda and other accused of the case was present in the courtroom at the time of announcement of the judgement.
The Bench did not say anything about other convicts, as they did not file any appeal but absconding. It means their punishment handed by the lower court will remain in force.
Khaleda cannot contest polls unless SC scraps punishment, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam after the announcement of the verdict.
“Khaleda Zia cannot contest any Parliamentary election unless the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court scraps her punishment. If the apex court stays the High Court verdict that enhanced her sentence to 10 years of imprisonment from five years’ imprisonment, she can get release from jail, but she cannot contest the election unless the SC cancels the HC verdict,” he said.
The Attorney General was briefing reporters after the HC delivered its judgement on the appeal petitions in connection with Zia Orphanage Trust case.
Replying to a question, Mahbubey Alam said, the HC judgement is a message for the politicians.
It indicates that if anybody commits offence remaining in the state power, he or she is not above the law.
On February 8, 2018, Judge of the Special Court-5 in Dhaka, Dr. Md Akhtaruzzaman, sentenced the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for five years after she was found guilty in the Zia Orphanage Trust case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Her eldest son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and four others, former lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Khaleda’s former Principal Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Momenur Rahman, have been given 10 years jail in the case and a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each in the case.
The Zia Orphanage Trust was set up by Khaleda’s two sons and a nephew. It was registered on September 5, 1993.
The Anti-Corruption Commission on July 3 in 2008 filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing six persons, including Khaleda Zia and BNP’s Senior Vice-Chairman and her son Tarique Rahman. The other accused are: former lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Khaleda’s former Principal Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Momenur Rahman.
Of them, Kamal Uddin and Momenur are on the run.
On March 21, 2014, a Dhaka court framed charges against the six accused.
According to complainant, a grant of $1,255,000 was transferred from the United Saudi Commercial Bank to the Prime Minister’s Orphanage Fund. The fund was created by the then Premier Khaleda Zia shortly before the transfer was made on June 9, 1991.
The complainant alleged that the fund was created as part of the embezzlement scheme, and only Khaleda Zia administered the fund.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the same trial court delivered a seven-year jail term to Khaleda in the Zia Charitable Trust case.
