Dhaka, Jan 09 (V7N)— The hearing on former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's appeal seeking acquittal from a 10-year prison sentence in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case concluded today. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, has scheduled January 14 for the verdict hearing.

The decision to postpone the verdict announcement was influenced by the absence of an appeal from another accused in the case, Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal.

During the hearing, Khaleda Zia's legal team argued that she neither embezzled funds from the Orphanage Trust nor held any official position in it. They claimed that her conviction was the result of political vendetta.

The case, originally adjudicated in 2018, resulted in a five-year sentence handed down by the trial court, which the High Court later extended to 10 years. However, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, President Khaleda Zia's sentence was commuted on August 6, 2024.

Khaleda Zia's lawyer, Zainul Abedin, reiterated her innocence, stating, "This is a false case, and she has been unfairly convicted."

The court's decision on January 14 will mark a pivotal moment in the high-profile legal battle surrounding the former Prime Minister.

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