- Court accepts Khaleda’s appeal plea

- Hearing on her bail Sunday 

- Stays Tk 2.10cr fine order

- Asks for case records

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s appeal against her conviction in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case has been accepted at the High Court.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim set next Sunday, 2:00pm, to hear her bail petition in the case.

The bench stayed the lower court fine of Tk 2.10 crore on Khaleda and asked it to forward the case records before it within 15 days.

BNP chief Khaleda is currently serving a five-year term in prison, convicted in charges of Tk 2.10 crore graft in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.

Earlier today, she filed a separate bail petition with the High Court in the case. The 880-page petition mentioned 31 grounds, one of her lawyers Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon, told The Daily Star.

In the appeal, Khaleda prayed to the HC so that it asks for the records of the case from the trial court, grants her bail until the plea is disposed of, and acquits her of the corruption charges.

After receiving the appeal on Tuesday, the HC bench fixed today (Thursday) for the hearing.

On February 8, Special Judge’s Court-5 of Dhaka sentenced Khaleda to five years’ rigorous imprisonment after it found her and five other accused guilty in the graft case.

The special court in its judgment also sentenced Khaleda’s eldest son and BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman and four others to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment, and fined Tk 2.10 crore each.

The other convicts are KaziSalimulHaque, ex-BNP lawmaker from Magura;  Sharfuddin Ahmed, a businessman; Mominur Rahman, a cousin of Tarique; and Kamal Uddin Siddique, former principal secretary to the PM.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Ramna Police Station in July 2008, accusing the six of misappropriating over Tk 2.1 crore that had come from a foreign bank as grants for orphans.

The defence claimed the Kuwaiti amir gave $12,55,000 or Tk 4,44,81,2160 to establish Zia Orphanage Trust. They also said they had “solid evidence” for this and it was that Kuwait embassy document, reads the full verdict.