Supreme Court of Bangladesh Acquits Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court (SC) of Bangladesh unanimously acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia of graft charges related to the Zia Orphanage Trust case, Jurist News reported.

The court also exonerated her son, Tarique Rahman, and four others previously convicted by a lower court.

The SC’s Appellate Division accepted Zia’s appeals, declaring her not guilty of embezzlement. The court stated that the prior proceedings showcased a “contrived misapplication of the law,” indicating malicious prosecution. This ruling applies to all individuals convicted by the lower court, regardless of whether they filed an appeal.

Zia’s legal team contended that the corruption charges were politically motivated, emphasizing the prosecution’s failure to present evidence of embezzlement. The case, uncovered by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), accused Zia and her son of misappropriating over 21 million taka (approximately $305,000) from a charity fund for orphans.

In 2018, a special court sentenced Zia to five years in prison, later increased to ten years by the High Court, before the recent acquittal.