Bangladesh Supreme Court acquits former prime minister Khaleda Zia

Dhaka: Bangladesh Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a corruption case, overturning the High Court’s earlier 10-year prison sentence.

The verdict was delivered by a bench led by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed after reviewing 79-year-old Zia’s appeal against the High Court’s ruling on Wednesday, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

The Supreme Court acquitted Zia, the party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, and all other suspects in their appeal over the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, the report added.

The Appellate Division noted that the case was motivated by revenge.

Zia was sentenced on February 8, 2018, by Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-5 to five years of imprisonment for alleged embezzlement of government funds in the name of the Zia Orphanage Trust.

The same verdict handed down 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for five other accused, including Zia's son Tarique and former chief secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui. Each of the accused was also fined Tk2.1 crore.

Among the accused, Tarique, Siddiqui, and Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Mominur Rahman have remained absconding.

Zia appealed the trial court’s verdict to the High Court, but the sentence was increased to 10 years by a High Court bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman on October 30, 2018.

Zia subsequently filed a leave-to-appeal petition against this sentence.

Following years of delays due to legal procedural issues and a lack of initiative from lawyers, the Appellate Division accepted Zia’s leave-to-appeal on November 11, 2024.

The court also stayed the High Court’s 10-year sentence pending the final hearing of the appeal.

After concluding the hearing, the Appellate Division announced its decision to acquit Zia, officially clearing her of the charges in the case.

Zia is ailing and travelled to London earlier this month for medical treatment.

Zia served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006.