DHAKA, Nov 27, 2024 (BSS) - The High Court (HC) today allowed two separate appeals filed by BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and two other convicts, challenging the lower court conviction and sentence in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case and acquitted them of the charges.
 
"Appeal allowed," said the identical orders passed by the HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain.
 
The High Court on November 3 granted a defence petition for preparing the paper book at its own cost to file an appeal against the seven-year sentence to Begum Khaleda Zia in the case.
 
"The court today allowed two separate appeals, one filed by Begum Khaleda Zia, and another jointly filed by Ziaul Islam and Monirul Islam Khan. The court today acquitted them of the case," ACC counsel Asif Hasan told newsmen.
 
"Not even a single witness said during the hearing that Begum Khaleda Zia embezzled any money by misusing her power in the trust. We pointed out the big inconsistencies in the first information report and the charge sheet in our arguments, and allowing our pleas, the court today accepted our appeals," senior advocate Zainul Abedin said.
 
Begum Khaleda Zia's other counsel Barrister Kaiser Kamal said the case was fully politically motivated, and his client was deprived of justice at the lower court.
 
"But we were respectful to the law all along. We have finally got justice after a long legal battle," he added.
 
Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 on October 29, 2018, convicted Begum Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to seven years imprisonment in the case. It also fined her Taka 10 lakh. 
 
The BNP chairperson filed the appeal with the High Court on November 18, 2018. The High Court later accepted her appeal for the hearing and stayed her fine.