Dhaka, Nov 27 (V7N) — The High Court has acquitted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and three other accused in the Zia Charitable Trust case. The verdict was delivered today by the High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain.

The case had its origins in an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filing on August 8, 2011, accusing Khaleda Zia and three others of misappropriating Tk 3.15 crore in the name of the Zia Charitable Trust. On October 29, 2018, the Dhaka Special Judge Court sentenced Khaleda Zia to seven years' imprisonment and imposed a fine of Tk 10 lakh. The same punishment was handed to her former political secretary Haris Chowdhury, Monirul Islam Khan (former private secretary to Sadek Hossain Khoka), and Haris Chowdhury's private secretary Ziaul Islam Munna.

Following the trial court verdict, Khaleda Zia appealed to the High Court on November 18, 2018. The appeal was taken up for hearing, and on April 30, 2019, the High Court stayed the fine imposed on her by the lower court.

In August 2024, after the Awami League government fell during a student uprising on August 5, Khaleda Zia was released from custody. Following her release, she requested permission to prepare the paper book required for her appeal. The High Court granted the request on November 3, 2024.

Today's ruling marks the culmination of years of legal battles over the Zia Charitable Trust case. Khaleda Zia and her supporters have maintained that the charges were politically motivated, while the ACC argued they were based on credible evidence of corruption.

The decision is expected to have significant political ramifications, particularly in the context of the current political climate in Bangladesh.

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