Khaleda’s verdict: BNP’s hunger strike in protest

BNP will go on hunger strike on November 1 in protest to the verdict delivered against its chief Khaleda Zia in a corruption case.

It is part of the freshly-announced three-day action programmes from tomorrow to protest the court’s verdict.

They will also stage countrywide demonstration on October 30 and will form human chains on October 31. The hunger strike has been slated for November 1.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed announced the programmes at a press conference it the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka this evening.

The human chain will be formed in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka while the party will seek permission from the authority to observe its mass hunger strike programme at the Institute of Engineers’ Bangladesh according to the schedule, he said.

Why the programmes?

A special court in Dhaka today sentenced BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others including her political secretary Harris Chowdhury seven years’ rigorous imprisonment in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

Khaleda and the other convicts were also fined Tk 10 lakh each, in default of which they will have to serve six more months in jail, according to the verdict which is the highest punishment under the existing law.

The court also ordered the authority concerned to attach the 42 kathas of land in favour of the state which was purchased under the name of the trust.

What allegations brought against Khaleda?

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lodged the Zia Charitable Trust graft case against Khaleda and three others with Tejgaon Police Station in August 2011. According to the case statement, the former prime minister and three others abused their power and raised funds for the trust from unknown sources.

Why Khaleda Zia is now in jail?

Khaleda Zia landed in jail on February after a special court sentenced her to five years' rigorous imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

Who are the other convicts?

Apart from Harris Chowdhury, the two others are convicts are: Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka City mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.