Staff Reporter:
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday upheld a High Court (HC) judgment that acquitted BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and others of the charges in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
A three-member Appellate Division bench headed by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam passed the order this morning, dismissing the plea filed by the state and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging the High Court judgment in this regard.
Senior advocate Asif Hossain argued for the ACC before the court, while Additional Attorney General Aneek Rushd Haque stood for the state. Senior jurists Aminul Islam, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Kho-kon, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal and Barrister Badruddoza Badal moved for the BNP chairperson.
A lower court on October 29, 2018, convicted Begum Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to seven years in prison. She was fined Taka 10 lakh also.
The High Court on November 27 allowed two separate appeals filed by BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and two other convicts Ziaul Islam and Monirul Islam Khan, challenging the lower court conviction and sentence in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case and acquitted them of the charges.
The state and the ACC filed the plea, challenging the High Court judgment.
That matter came to the Appellate Division’s regular bench for hearing and the apex court yesterday passed its order.
