Attorney General Mahbubey Alam today said there is no scope for BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to take part in the next general election.
“She has been convicted and as per the existing laws, no convicted person can take part in the election. Unless these convictions are retracted and she is acquitted, she cannot take part in election,” the chief state counsel said.
The attorney general said these while briefing the media as the High Court this morning enhanced BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s five-year jail term to 10 years in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice M. Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md. Mostafizur Rahman passed the order, allowing a revision plea filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against a lower court judgment that awarded the BNP chief a lenient sentence of five-year imprisonment for embezzling money meant to be spend for orphans, considering her age and social status.
While replying to a question on the provision for Khaleda Zia to take part in the election, advocate Mahbubey Alam said, there are two options, either the sentence has to be stayed or she has to be acquitted.
“But I think, if someone gets convicted, he or she has to be acquitted to take part in the election,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) counsel Khurshid Alam Khan too echoed the opinion of the attorney general, saying, “As the High Court enhanced the sentence of the BNP chief, she now has no scope to take part in the next general election.”
“There are much logical reasons behind enhancement of Khaleda’s sentence. She was the main accused in the case. She was sentenced to five-year imprisonment in the case by the lower court. But our plea was to sentence her to life imprisonment. We are satisfied for the time being over today’s judgement,” advocate Khan said.
Source: BSS