Charitable trust graft case: HC accepts Khaleda’s appeal

Dhaka, Apr 30 – The High Court on Tuesday accepted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s appeal challenging her conviction in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.
The bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman also stayed a Tk 10 lakh fine imposed by the subordinate court.
Former prime minister Khaleda was sentenced to seven years in jail for corruption on October 29 last year.
The High Court bench also ordered a status quo on the subordinate court’s order to confiscate a 42-katha land bought in the trust’s name. It also ordered the court to send all the files within two months.
“After receiving the files, the court will hear her bail petition,” said Khaleda’s lawyer Barrister Kaiser Kamal.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Tejgaon police on August 8, 2011, accusing four people, including Khaleda, of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The BNP claims that the case is politically motivated and accuses the government of plotting to keep the former prime minister out of politics. The government denies the charges.
In an earlier development BNP MP Harun-ur Rashid Harun (Chapainawabganj-3) in his maiden speech in Parliament on Monday demanded his party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release from jail.
He came up with the demand hours after he along with three other BNP MPs-elect took oath.
“We request you (Prime Minister) to release our leader (Khaleda Zia) from jail. If you release our leader, we, only five BNP MPs who joined parliament, can at least tell people and the country that the Prime Minister has released our leader as a result of our joining Parliament,” said the BNP MP pointing at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who was present in the House at that time.
He urged the Prime Minister to ensure so that Khaleda’s bail petition is not opposed in court. “Try her (Khaleda) as there’re judge court and High Court. But don’t deprive her of availing of the right to get bail,” he said, adding that Khaleda is an aged person who cannot move without wheelchair.
Harun said Khaleda is convicted in a ‘dictated verdict’ of the lower court. The BNP chairperson has been making efforts to get bail from the higher court for the last 15 months, he said, adding that she should get bail at least.
The BNP MP also demanded restoration of democracy, saying the electoral system has collapsed. “I would like to request our leader (Sheikh Hasina) to take prompt measures to resolve the country’s present crisis…. though we’re very small in number in Parliament, the reality is that 17 crore people of the country are confined and helpless today. Their democratic rights have been snatched,” he said.
Harun said they joined Parliament to speak the truth and sought enough time from the Speaker to this end.
Though development works continue, massive looting is taking place in the country, he said.
Claiming that there is no rule of law and good governance in the country, the BNP MP urged the Prime Minister to take measures to address these issues.
Five BNP MPs, out of six, elected in the December-30 general election, except party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, have so far joined Parliament. – UNB