Zia Orphanage Trust case: SC begins Khaleda Zia's appeal hearing
The full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Refaat Ahmed, heard the arguments of both sides regarding the appeal today
The Supreme Court's Appellate Division has begun hearing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's appeal against a High Court order that increased her sentence from five to ten years in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Refaat Ahmed, heard the arguments of both sides today (7 January), according to court sources.
The hearing will continue tomorrow.
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Senior lawyers Zainul Abedin, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Badruddoza Badal, Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Kaiser Kamal, and Adv Gazi Qamrul Islam Sazal represented Khaleda Zia in the court.
They sought to overturn both the lower court and High Court verdicts, terming them unlawful.
On the other hand, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, and additional attorney generals, Mohammad Arshadur Rouf and Aneek Rushd Haque, appeared for the state, while Advocate Md Asif Hasan argued for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The Supreme Court on 11 November 2024, allowed two leave-to-appeal petitions filed by Khaleda Zia, staying the High Court order that extended her five-year jail term to ten in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
ALSO READ: SC stays Khaleda's 10-year jail sentence in Orphanage Trust graft case
During that hearing, ACC lawyer Md Asif Hasan said, "No money had been embezzled from Zia Orphanage Trust."
On the other hand, Khaleda's lawyer Zainul Abedin argued that the High Court's verdict increasing her sentence was flawed and based on incorrect legal interpretation.
On 8 February 2018, the Dhaka Special Judge's Court-5, presided over by Md Akhtaruzzaman (currently a judge of the High Court Division), sentenced Khaleda Zia to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.
The same verdict handed 10-year sentences to Khaleda Zia's son and BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, former Magura MP Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal and three others.
Subsequently, on 30 October 2018, in response to an appeal by the ACC, the High Court increased her sentence to 10 years.
On 6 August last year, Khaleda was completely freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
Since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August, the High Court has dismissed several cases, including the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases, filed against Khaleda.
