Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia sentenced to seven years in jail in a corruption case, according to news agency ANI. The Bangladeshi Supreme Court had earlier cleared the way for a lower court to deliver its verdict on Monday in the graft case against imprisoned ex-prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia, rejecting her plea to halt the proceedings.
Zia, 73, who is already serving a jail term since February after being convicted in another case related embezzlement of funds of an orphanage named after her husband president Ziaur Rahman in February, was sentenced along with three others.
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The latest sentence is related the Zia Charitable Trust. According to the case, Zia and three others abused their power and raised funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The apex court rejected a leave-to-appeal petition filed by Zia challenging the High Court judgment that allowed a lower court to continue trial in the graft case in her absence.
The court on September 20 decided to continue the trial inside the old Dhaka central jail in Zia’s absence.
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The former premier on September 27 filed a revision petition with the High Court (HC) challenging the court’s September 20 order.
On October 14, the HC rejected the revision petition of Zia and cleared the way for the trial court to continue with its proceedings.
Zia had skipped appearances in the case citing illness.
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