Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday issued a rule asking BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and the government to explain as to why the Khaleda’s jail term in the Zia Orphanage Trust case should not be enhanced?
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order after hearing a revision petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking enhancement of Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence.
The court said, the rule will be heard along with the appeal petition filed by Khaleda Zia challenging the lower court verdict that convicted and sentenced her to five years imprisonment in this case.
The ACC on Tuesday filed the revision petition with the HC challenging the trial court verdict on Khaleda Zia in this case saying it was an inadequate sentence handed by the lower court.
The commission said in the petition that the five other accused were convicted and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
But the lower court sentenced Khaleda Zia, who is the prime accused in the case, to five years’ imprisonment, which is inadequate, the ACC said in the petition.
The commission prayed to the HC to enhance the sentence of Khaleda in the case.
On February 8, Khaleda Zia was jailed for five years in Zia Orphanage case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2008. Judge of the Special Court-5 of Dhaka also sentenced Khaleda Zia’s eldest son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each.
On March 12, the High Court bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim granted bail to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for four months in the case. The Anti-Corruption Commission and the government filed two separate appeal petitions against the HC order to stay the bail on the following day.
On March 14, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia till March 18. The SC also directed both the parties to file leave to appeal petitions by this time.
The both parties filed leave to appeal petitions on March 15 and the SC heard those petitions on March 18. After concluding hearing the SC stayed the bail till May 8.
