Zia Charitable case: Apex court defers hearing on appeal against Khaleda's acquittal to tomorrow

The Appellate Division today (2 March) deferred to tomorrow (3 March) the hearing on two petitions filed challenging the High Court (HC) verdict that acquitted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and two others in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

A three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam fixed the date after hearing an appeal submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Lawyer Asif Hossain represented the state in the court while Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, advocate Aminul Islam, and Jakir Hossain stood for the BNP chairperson.

Earlier on 23 February, the prosecution and the ACC submitted separate petitions challenging the acquittal of Khaleda in the case. Then the court set 2 March for the hearing.

On 27 November last year, the HC acquitted the BNP chairperson and two others in the Zia Charitable Trust case.

The HC also scrapped the lower verdict that sentenced Khaleda and two others in the same case

Two others who got acquittal were Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary to Harris Chowdhury, former political secretary of former prime minister Khaleda, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

On 20 November, the hearing on the appeal petition filed challenging the punishment in the case started while permission was given on 3 November for preparing the paper book of the case.

On 29 October 2018, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Court-5 sentenced Khaleda and three others to seven years of rigorous imprisonment each in the Zia Charitable Trust case.

The court also fined them Tk 10 lakh each, in default, to suffer six months more in jail.

On 8 August 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case at Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

In 2012, the ACC submitted the chargesheet against them in the case.