The Chamber Court has fixed November 10 for the hearing of two separate leave to appeals (applications for permission to appeal) filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia against the High Court verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust case in the Appellate Division.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed will hear the matter.
On Monday (November 4), Barrister Kaiser Kamal, one of Khaleda Zia's lawyers, confirmed the matter.
On February 8, 2018, the trial court sentenced Khaleda Zia to 5 years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. At the same time, each of the other five accused in the case was sentenced to 10 years in prison. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years in prison by Judge Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka's Special Judge's Court-5 on charges of embezzling government money in the name of the Orphanage Trust.
At the same time, Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman and the other five accused in the case were sentenced to 10 years in prison each. In addition, six accused were fined Tk. 2.10 crore each.
The remaining four accused are former Chief Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former MP and businessman Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed and Ziaur Rahman's nephew Mominur Rahman. Tarique Rahman, Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Mominur Rahman are absconding among them.
Then, Khaleda Zia, Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed appealed to the High Court against the trial court's verdict seeking acquittal. Later, on October 30, 2018, the High Court bench of Justice M. Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md. Mostafizur Rahman increased Khaleda's sentence to 10 years in prison. Khaleda Zia filed a leave-to-appeal against the High Court's verdict.