The Supreme Court today fixed November 25 for hearing an appeal filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the High Court order that rejected her bail petition in Zia Charitable Trust graft case in which she was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by a lower court.

After holding a hearing, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Md Nuruzzaman sent the appeal to its full bench and fixed November 25 for hearing the matter, Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon, a lawyer for Khaleda, told The Daily Star.  

Khaleda Zia on November 14 filed the appeal with the SC challenging the HC’s rejection order.

In the appeal, the BNP chief prayed to the apex court to grant her bail in the corruption case, saying that the case filed against her was “politically motivated”.

There is no evidence of corruption against her, she is 74 years old and is very ill and therefore, she is entitled to get bail in the case, Khaleda said in the appeal.

On July 31, the HC rejected the BNP chief’s bail petition in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

Earlier on October 29 last year, a special court in Dhaka convicted Khaleda in the case and sentenced her to seven years’ imprisonment in her absence.

It also awarded the same jail term to Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia; Harris’s assistant and personal secretary Ziaul Haq Munna; and Monirul Islam Khan, assistant personal secretary to then Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on August 8, 2011.

The BNP chief landed in jail after being sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case by the same court on February 8.

The HC on October 30 enhanced her punishment to 10 years in the case, after dismissing her appeal.

Advocate Zainul Abedin appeared for Khaleda, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state and Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the ACC.