Khaleda challenges HC verdict doubling punishment

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia today filed a leave to appeal petition with the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict that enhanced her punishment to 10 years imprisonment from five years in Zia Orphanage Trust Corruption case.

In the petition, Khaleda Zia prayed to the apex court to suspend her punishment and grant her bail in the case.

The Appellate Division is yet to fix any date for hearing the petition.

Citing the petition, Khaleda’s lawyer Barrister Kayser Kamal told reporters that the High Court has enhanced the punishment of Khaleda Zia “unfairly, unjustly and unreasonably as Khaleda did not commit any corruption”.

The High Court has delivered the verdict without adequately hearing the argument from her lawyers, Barrister Kayser Kamal alleged.

Following a petition filed by Anti-corruption Commission, the High Court on October 30 last year increased the punishment of Khaleda Zia to 10 years imprisonment from five years in the graft case.

What was the HC verdict?

Khaleda Zia lost another legal battle on October 30 last year, as the High Court doubled her five-year jail term, handed down by a lower court in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The former prime minister landed in jail on February 8 after being sentenced by a special court that day.

She challenged the verdict on February 20 with the HC, seeking acquittal. Weeks later, the Anti-Corruption Commission, which filed the case in 2008, filed a revision petition with the HC, seeking enhancement of her punishment.