Architects of fictitious graft case deserve punishment: Khaleda

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday castigated those who had ordered filing of what she called a 'fictitious graft case' against her.

Saying that she would be acquitted should justice prevail, the former prime minister observed that people who had filed this case would have been sued as well, had there been rule of law and an independent judiciary.

"Nothing will happen to me if justice is served in this false case. Insha Allah (God willing), I will be acquitted," Khaleda Zia told a press conference ahead of the verdict in Zia Orphanage Trust case to be delivered on Thursday.

Read more: Your Khaleda didn't commit any corruption: BNP chief tells countrymen

"However, if the judgement is delivered to please the rulers, it will be a history of disgrace. The people of Bangladesh do not pardon the ones who commit such crimes," the BNP leader said.

A makeshift court is set to hand down the judgement in the case that implicated Khaleda, BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman and four others.

Khaleda mentioned that she was ready for any consequences in her fight to restore democracy and the peoples' rights.

"I am not scared of jail or any other punitive measures. I will not bow down to acts of intimidation," she added.

She further expressed her confidence that the rulers would not be successful in its 'blueprint' to keep her and her party from the elections by using the court.

Khaleda argued that her lawyers had proved in the court that the plaintiff prepared concocted evidences to implicate her in the false case. She claimed that neither she had been involved with the Zia Orphanage Trust nor a single penny had been embezzled from its funds.

"There is no justice in the country," she said, terming the incumbents who were rampantly saying that she 'will be jailed' morally illegal.

"As if, not the judge but the rulers are determing the kind of verdict [to be delivered against me]," said the BNP chair.

In this context, she expressed her suspicion whether the judge would be courageous to deliver justice since the chief justice was forced to leave the country and resign very recently.

"I would like to inform the countrymen with pride that your Khaleda Zia did not do anything wrong. I didn't commit any corruption," she said.

Rather, Khaleda Zia alleged, the ruling party men looted public resources worth millions. "Such scams are not probed; even if it is probed, the report is not made public," she said, adding that the Awamie League regime stopped all means of protests against all its misdeeds.

The BNP chief alleged that the AL government had turned the justice delivery system into a farce by acts of politicisation and intimidation.