Court Correspondent :
BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and three others were yesterday imprisoned for seven years in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
Judge Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Court-5 pronounced the verdict on Monday noon in the graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on August 11, 2011 for embezzlement of Tk 3,15,43,000. Besides, the court fined the four convicts Tk 20 lakh each, in default, they will suffer six months more in the prison. The three other convicted in the case are: Harris Chowdhury, political secretary of the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Islam Munna, assistant private secretary to Harris Chowdhury and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
Law enforcement agencies took all necessary preparations to tackle any possible chaos on the occasion of pronouncement of the verdict.
On October 16, the Judge fixed October 29 for pronouncement of the verdict after completing the trial proceedings of the case.
Earlier on Monday, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court cleared way for the lower court concerned to continue the trial in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case in Khaleda Zia’s absence.
The Appellate Division rejected a leave-to-appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking cancellation of the High Court order clearing the way for continuation of the trial proceedings in the case in her absence.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order.
On September 20, Judge Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 decided to continue the trial proceedings in the absence of main accused.
On September 27, the BNP chairperson filed the writ petition with the High Court challenging a lower court’s decision.
The BNP Chairperson is now undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) under a special medical board formed by the government.
BNP Chief Khaleda Zia is already in the prison since February 8 of this year, serving a five-year term after conviction in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Law enforcement agencies took all necessary preparations to tackle any possible chaos on the occasion of pronouncement of the verdict.
On October 16, the Judge fixed October 29 for pronouncement of the verdict after completing the trial proceedings of the case.
Earlier on Monday, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court cleared way for the lower court concerned to continue the trial in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case in Khaleda Zia’s absence.
The Appellate Division rejected a leave-to-appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking cancellation of the High Court order clearing the way for continuation of the trial proceedings in the case in her absence.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order.
On September 20, Judge Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 decided to continue the trial proceedings in the absence of main accused.
On September 27, the BNP chairperson filed the writ petition with the High Court challenging a lower court’s decision.
The BNP Chairperson is now undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) under a special medical board formed by the government.
BNP Chief Khaleda Zia is already in the prison since February 8 of this year, serving a five-year term after conviction in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
