Ex-Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia Sentenced to 5-Year Jail on Corruption Charges
Khaleda has been convicted of embezzling money meant for an orphanage. However, the 72-year old BNP Chief denied misusing international funds donated to a charitable children's trust.
Dhaka, February 8: A Dhaka court on Thursday sentenced former Bangladesh prime minister and leader of the prime opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda Zia to five years in jail for corruption. Zia has been convicted of embezzling money meant for an orphanage. However, the 72-year old BNP chief denied misusing international funds donated to a charitable children's trust.
Zia, along with five others - including her son and the BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman - were tried in the court of Dhaka's Fifth Special Judge Mohammad Aktaruzzaman on charges of embezzling 21 million takas (USD 252,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust.
As per reports, Zia was found guilty of siphoning off $252,000 from a trust created for an orphanage, a charge she had dismissed as politically motivated. “Since the court has been able to prove the charges against her and considering her social and physical status, Zia has been sentenced to five years in jail in the section 409 and 109 of the penal codes," said the judge, Mohammad Akhteruzzaman.
Zia's son Tarique Rahman was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
On Wednesday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police had issued a special notice prohibiting any form of public gathering from 4 AM on Thursday, after the decision would be out. The notice said inputs from intelligence agencies warned of efforts to destabilise public order.
Amid escalating tensions, Bangladesh braced for possible unrest across the nation ahead of the court’s verdict. Sentencing Zia to jail clearly means that the ex-Bangladesh Prime Minister is barred from parliamentary polls due this year.
To recall, the BNP had boycotted the 2014 polls but is expected to contest the upcoming general election.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2018 03:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).