A Dhaka court has sentenced former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others to 7 years in jail in Zia Charitable Trust Graft case.
Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 passed the verdict on Monday.
The other accused are Khaleda’s former political secretary Haris Chowdhury, the then BIWTA director Ziaul Islam Munna and Monirul Islam Khan, former personal secretary of former Dhaka city mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka.
On October 14, the High Court rejected a revision plea filed by BNP chairperson, upholding a lower court order that had said it would continue the graft case proceedings in her absence.
The lower court on September 20 passed the order, saying it would hold hearing of the case in Khaleda’s absence as she was “unwilling” to appear at the makeshift court complex inside the Old Dhaka Central Jail.
The ACC filed the case with capital’s Tejgaon Police Station on August 8, 2010, for embezzling Taka 3.15 crore while police on January 16, 2012, filed chargesheet against four including the ex-premier.
The court framed charges against Khaleda and others in the case on March 19, 2014.
Khaleda, serving a five-year jail term in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, is currently undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.