Supreme Court Frees Khaleda Zia From Graft Case, Rekindling Political Hopes

Supreme Court Frees Khaleda Zia From Graft Case, Rekindling Political Hopes

In a major judicial victory for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has acquitted her in a 2008 corruption case, paving the way for the ailing leader to re-enter parliamentary elections.The ruling, issued on Wednesday,..Supreme Court Frees Khaleda Zia From Graft Case, Rekindling Political Hopes

comes as a boost for Khaleda and her family, who have long been key players in the nation’s political landscape. A five-judge panel, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, overturned the 2018 jail sentences previously imposed on Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman, and several others.

The corruption case, dating back to 2008, accused Khaleda of embezzling 21 million taka (approximately $173,000) from foreign donations intended for an orphanage trust that she established during her tenure as prime minister from 2001 to 2006.

“This case was so tainted that both the appellants and those who couldn’t appeal have all been acquitted,” said Zainul Abedin, Khaleda’s defense attorney, after the ruling.

In a separate legal development, Khaleda, now 79, was acquitted in November 2024 of charges involving the misappropriation of 31.5 million taka from another trust in 2005.

Having faced significant health challenges, including liver cirrhosis and heart disease, Khaleda was recently flown to London for treatment. Meanwhile, her son Tarique Rahman, who serves as acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was also acquitted last month in a 2004 grenade attack case.

Since August 2024, Bangladesh has been under the leadership of an interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. The BNP has been calling for general elections by August, citing rising political and economic instability in the country.

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