HC accepts Khaleda’s appeal in Zia Charitable Trust case for hearing

The High Court on Sunday accepted for hearing an appeal filed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, seeking her acquittal in the Zia Charitable Trust case.

The High Court on Sunday accepted for hearing an appeal filed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, seeking her acquittal in the Zia Charitable Trust case.

Khaleda had originally filed the appeal in 2018 following a seven-year prison sentence, which was recently remitted by the president.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain granted permission to Khaleda’s legal team to prepare a paper book at her expense, enabling a prompt hearing of the appeal.

Khaleda’s lawyer, Zainul Abedin, argued before the court that his client’s sentence had been remitted by presidential order amid ongoing appeal proceedings.

He emphasised that Khaleda did not request administrative relief; instead, she sought a legal resolution, determined to contest what she views as politically motivated charges.

In addition to the Zia Charitable Trust case, another appeal remains pending with the Appellate Division regarding Khaleda’s sentence in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.

In that case, the High Court increased her sentence from five to ten years, a decision her defense is actively challenging, seeking expedited adjudication.

These cases form part of a broader array of legal actions Khaleda has faced over the years, totaling 37. Of these, 19 have been dismissed by the courts, and her sentences in both the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases were remitted following a shift in political dynamics after the Awami League’s ouster amid a student-led mass uprising on August 5. 

In March 2020, amid the Covid pandemic, the government granted Khaleda temporary release from prison under an executive order on conditions.

The conditional release has been extended multiple times to keep her out of jail considering her health condition.