Khaleda Zia, along with Tarique Rahman and other defendants, has been acquitted in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
The verdict was announced on Wednesday morning (January 15) by the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed.
In its ruling, the court stated that the case was filed out of vengeance, leading to a defamation of Khaleda Zia.
Earlier, on Tuesday (January 14), the hearing on Khaleda Zia's appeal against the 10-year prison sentence handed down by the High Court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case concluded.
The highest court held intense hearings over four days, with arguments presented by Begum Zia's lawyers, the prosecution, and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) attorneys.
In the case, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was sentenced to 10 years in prison, as was the party's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. The lawyers had anticipated the acquittal of all defendants.
They argued that the then-Awami League government had engaged in a farce of justice to harass the Zia family.
The prosecution conceded that it was inappropriate to convict someone based on assumptions. The ACC maintained that the case records and evidence did not substantiate any corruption, irregularities, or breach of trust by Begum Zia or the other defendants.
On Tuesday, Kazi Salimul Haque’s lawyer, another defendant in the case, also pleaded for acquittal, marking the conclusion of the appeals hearing in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
On February 8, 2018, Begum Zia was sent to prison in connection with the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. Unprecedentedly, her sentence was increased by the High Court, leading to her serving two years, one month, and 13 days in prison.
