Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia has been sentenced to seven years in prison in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case. A fine of Tk 10 lakh was also imposed. If he does not pay the money, he will have to stay in jail for another six months. Along with that, the order of confiscation of Kakrail's land has been filed.
BNP leader Harish Chowdhury, his former APS Ziaul Haque Munna and former mayor of Dhaka City Corporation Sadek Hossain Khoka, former APS Munirul Islam Khan, who are accused in this case along with the BNP Chairperson, have received the same sentence.
Judge Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka's temporary special judge's court gave this order on Monday.
Earlier, on February 8, the BNP leader was sentenced to five years in prison and fined Tk 2.1 million in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. Other accused including his son Tariq Rahman were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
After announcing the verdict, Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal said that the judge said that the precedent set by Khaleda Zia of abuse of power from the highest position of the state can never be desirable. The accused must be severely punished so that no one does this again.
Kajol said that this case had to face repeated obstacles in its management. They are satisfied that the verdict has finally arrived.
In the second case in which Khaleda Zia was convicted, her lawyers did not address the court. After the BNP leader said that she would not come to jail, after the application of the anti-corruption commission lawyers, the judge ordered the verdict to conclude the trial in Khaleda Zia's absence.
Khaleda Zia also appealed to the High Court against the judgment in absentia. However, on the morning of the verdict, the application was rejected by the Appellate Division. Then the verdict was announced.
Khaleda Zia's lawyers were not present in the court even when the verdict was announced. As a result, there was no immediate response from them regarding the court order.
And the BNP leader was also staying at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University when the verdict was announced. He was transferred here from the old central jail in Dhaka on October 6.
Khaleda Zia went to court in this charitable trust case a week before the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust case on February 8. On that day, arguments were being presented on behalf of accused Ziaul Haque Munna. The next hearing in the case was scheduled on February 25 and 26.
But after being convicted in the Orphanage Trust corruption case and sent to jail, the BNP leader did not go to court again. And on the application of the ACC, the court sat in the jail on September 5.
That day, Khaleda Zia appeared in the prison court and said that she is ill and can no longer come to the court. Let him be given whatever verdict he likes.
After that Khaleda Zia or her lawyers did not go to court again. And in their absence, the judgment date was given on October 16.
On the day of the verdict, Khaleda Zia's lawyers looked towards the High Court. Because, there was also an application to prevent the pronouncement of this verdict. But that application was also rejected.
On the other hand, even though Khaleda Zia was not in the court, the security around the old central jail of Dhaka was strengthened since morning. Controls are imposed on the entry of the general public. No one was allowed to use that path without a search. Police and RAB members are stationed there.
The complaint in the Charitable Trust case
On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed a case against Khaleda Zia and four people in Tejgaon police station on the charge of illegally trading Tk 3 crore 15 lakh 43 thousand in the name of the trust. In 2012, the charge sheet was given to the court. Two years later, on March 19, 2014, the trial began with the filing of a complaint.
According to the chargesheet, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia established Zia Charitable Trust in the name of her husband Ziaur Rahman at her then cantonment home address. Khaleda Zia, her two sons Tariq Rahman and Arafat Rahman, being trustees of that trust, did not spend any money on charitable work. Rather, Khaleda Zia used illegal influence from the post of Prime Minister to collect illegal money for her own personal gain. His political secretary Harich Chowdhury spent illegally in the name of Zia Charitable Trust from being in charge of money management.
Hariche's Personal Secretary (PS) Ziaul Islam and former Mayor Sadek Hossain Khokar's Assistant Personal Secretary (APS) Monirul Islam have committed the crime of Section 5 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 109 of the Penal Code by abusing their power.
While in power from 2001 to 2006, Khaleda Zia registered at Gulshan Sub Registry Office under the name of Ziaur Rahman Charitable Trust using the house address of 6 Shaheed Mainul Road. Trusts for charitable work are mentioned. But did not spend any money on charitable work.
In the work of Khaleda Zia Trust, her political secretary Harich Chowdhury, Harich's APS Ziaul and others misused the power to illegally collect and transact money as Sonali Bank branch of the Prime Minister's office. There is lack of transparency in every step related to illegal receipt and expenditure in the name of trust.
It is also stated in the charge sheet that Khaleda Zia deposited 1 crore 90 lakh 50 thousand taka in various processes by using the illegal influence of power from the post of Prime Minister. No evidence of the legitimate source of the money was found. Although there were transactions in that account during the prime minister's tenure, no more transactions were made in that account after he left the post of prime minister.
It is also stated in the charge sheet that Khaleda Zia knowingly gave a check of Tk 7 crore 77 lakh after receiving Tk 6 crore 18 lakh 89 thousand 529 from the fund of BNP. He knew that excess money in the party's fund was deposited as illegally collected. The source of that money is illegal. Because of that, he tried to legalize 1 crore 35 lakhs of Metromakers and Developers.
The review shows that 3 crore 15 lakh 42 thousand rupees were illegally collected and spent by the accused.
