DHAKA, Feb 23, 2025 (BSS) - The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today set March 2 for holding a hearing on a plea of the state and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against the High Court judgment that acquitted BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and two others convicted and sentenced by the lower court concerned in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The three-member apex court bench headed by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam passed the order, allowing a petition of the ACC.

Counsel of the anti-graft body Advocate Asif Hasan said the ACC has filed a petition against the High Court judgment separately and pleaded for tagging it along the state plea filed in this regard. He sought time for taking part in the hearing.

"The apex court has passed 'not today' order and the matter will come on its cause list on March 2 for hearing," said the ACC counsel.

The High Court on November 27, 2024, 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 on that day.

"The court 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 after the High Court judgment.

"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 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.