Court deliberately misquoted my statement: Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today said the court has deliberately misquoted her statement in the verdict of Zia Orphanage Trust graft case that “she confessed to abusing power”.

"The court fraudulently and deliberately misquoted my statement," Khaleda said in her appeal petition filed today seeking acquittal from the charge of the case.

Besides, the court in its Zia Orphanage Trust graft case judgment said that the BNP chairperson in her defence statement given under section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure confessed that she had abused her power.

“So, there is no bar to punishing her under section 409 of Penal Code and 5(2) of Corruption Prevention Act-1947,” the verdict says on page 624 of the 1,100-page of the certified copy of the judgment published yesterday.

In her appeal petition, Khaleda said: "....people are being gunned down indiscriminately when they are raising voices against misdeeds. Students and teachers are being killed continuously. Aren't these abuse of power?"

"Did I abuse power? Crores of taka has been misappropriated from share market. Low income people have been made destitute," she said.

"...I don't understand why I have been implicated in the case. 36 cases have been filed against me. It is clear to the people that all the cases have been filed as part of politics of vengeance," she said.

"All the cases have been filed based on the untrue and baseless allegation," the former prime minister said.

Khaleda, who is now in jail, in her appeal petition cited a total of 44 grounds seeking acquittal from the charges of Zia Orphanage Trust graft case in which she was sentenced five years imprisonment.