The High Court has increased the five-year prison sentence given to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia by the trial court to 10 years in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. The High Court bench of Justice M. Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md. Mostafizur Rahman gave the verdict on Tuesday, declaring the rule issued on the ACC's application for the sentence increase appropriate.
The court also rejected the appeals of Khaleda Zia seeking acquittal from a 5-year sentence and former Magura MP Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal alias Kazi Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed seeking acquittal from a 10-year sentence.
The court announced the verdict at 10:30 am. While announcing the verdict, the court said, "We are only announcing the operating (effective) part of the verdict." Then the court dismissed the appeals of the three accused. And declared the ACC rule to increase the sentence appropriate and increased Khaleda Zia's sentence to 10 years.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, Additional Attorney General Murad Reza and Momtaz Uddin Fakir were present in the court when the verdict was announced.
Khurshid Alam Khan was on behalf of the ACC. However, no lawyer who was representing Khaleda Zia was seen in the courtroom at the time.
On July 30, the Appellate Division extended the deadline for resolving appeals from July 31 to October 31.
The High Court granted Khaleda Zia four months' bail on March 12 after she appealed against her five-year sentence in the case. Following an appeal by the ACC and the state, the court upheld it on May 16 and ordered the appeal to be disposed of by July 31.
The appeal hearing began on July 12.
Of the six accused in the case, three, including Khaleda Zia, are in prison. The remaining three accused are absconding. Apart from Khaleda Zia, the other two are former Magura MP Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal alias Kono Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed.
The three absconding individuals are BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, former chief secretary Dr. Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's nephew Mominur Rahman.
On February 8, Judge Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5, established at the parade ground of the Prisons Department in Bakshibazar, sentenced Khaleda Zia to five years in prison in the case.
At the same time, the court sentenced Khaleda's son and acting BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman, former Magura MP Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Dr. Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Mominur Rahman to 10 years in prison each.
Khaleda Zia's lawyers received a certified copy of the verdict on the afternoon of February 19, 11 days after the verdict was announced. They then filed the appeal with the relevant branch of the High Court on February 20.
On February 22, the court accepted Khaleda Zia's appeal for hearing, suspended the fine and summoned documents. Then, on March 7, the High Court also accepted the appeal of another accused, former MP from Magura, Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, for hearing.
Later, on March 28, the High Court issued a rule on the ACC's application seeking an increase in Khaleda's sentence. On May 10, the court accepted the appeal of another accused, Sharfuddin, for hearing.
