Khaleda's appeal hearing Thursday

- Appeal a day after verdict copy is released

- Khaleda claims innocence on 25 grounds

- Says charges brought are false, fabricated

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today filed an appeal challenging the lower court verdict that sentenced her to five years imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

In the 1,222-page appeal, Khaleda prayed to the High Court to acquit her of the corruption charge and grant her bail in the case, advocate Sagir Hossain Leon, a lawyer for the BNP chief, told The Daily Star.

The High Court has fixed Thursday for hearing on whether it will accept the appeal. The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim will also hear the bail plea on the same day.

Khaleda also prayed to the court to stay the lower court verdict that also fined her Tk 2.10 crore. 

Claiming herself innocent, she mentioned 25 grounds in the petition on which the HC may consider her prayer, the lawyer said. 

Khaleda filed the appeal a day after the Special Judge's Court-5 of Dhaka, which found Khaleda guilty in the graft case on February 8, released the full verdict yesterday.

Read more

Khaleda lands in jail

After the appeal was filed, advocate Sagir said the Anti-Corruption Commission has brought false and fabricated charges against Khaleda in the case and the original documents were not produced before the trial court.

On February 8, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the special court sentenced 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 Kazi Salimul Haque, 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 ACC filed the case with Ramna Police Station in July 2008, accusing Khaleda and five others of misappropriating over Tk 2.1 crore that had come from a foreign bank as grants for orphans.