Khaleda seeks bail in Zia Charitable Trust case

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia moved to the Appellate Division on Thursday challenging a High Court order that had turned down her bail petition in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

Barrister Kaiser Kamal filed the petition on behalf of the former prime minister, reports UNB.

The High Court bench of justice Farid Ahmed and justice ASM Abdul Mobin on 11 September rejected Khaleda’s bail petition in the case, in which she is serving a 10-year sentence.

Her bail petitions were turned down twice earlier -- on 31 July and 3 September.

On 8 August 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust case with Tejgaon police station against four people, including Khaleda Zia. They were accused of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

A special court jailed the BNP chief and three others for seven years in the corruption case on 29 October last year. Khaleda later moved to the High Court which increased her sentence by three more years.

The former prime minister has been in prison since 8 February last year after she was sentenced to jail for five years in a separate corruption case.