Ex-Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia sentenced to 7 years in another graft case
Dhaka, Oct 29 : In a major setback to Bangladesh's ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia, a court here on Monday sentenced her to seven years in prison in a second corruption case for embezzling millions from a charitable trust in her late husband's name.
Zia, 73, who is already serving a jail term since February after being convicted in another case related embezzlement of funds of an orphanage named after her husband president Ziaur Rahman in February, was sentenced along with three others.
The latest sentence, which comes ahead of general elections in December, is related the Zia Charitable Trust.
According to the case, Zia and three others abused their power and collected USD 375,000 for the trust from unknown sources.
Judge Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman announced the verdict from the temporary premises of the court at the old central prison at Dhaka's Nazimuddin Road.
The final trial proceedings in the case went ahead in the absence of Zia after the prison authorities repeatedly failed to bring her to the court.
She had recently complained to the court that she was losing feeling in her hand and in a leg.
The Zia Charitable Trust graft case was filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2011.
Zia's former political affairs secretary Harris Chowdhury, his former aide and former BIWTA acting director Ziaul Islam Munna, and former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka's personal secretary Monirul Islam Khan are the three others convicted in the case.
Zia's party says the charges for both cases are politically motivated.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh's Supreme Court cleared the way for a lower court to deliver its verdict in the case by rejecting Zia's plea to halt the proceedings.
The apex court rejected a leave-to-appeal petition filed by Zia challenging the High Court judgement that allowed a lower court to continue trial in the graft case in her absence.
The court on September 20 decided to continue the trial inside the old Dhaka central jail in Zia's absence. The former premier on September 27 filed a revision petition with the High Court (HC) challenging the court's September 20 order.
On October 14, the HC rejected the revision petition of Zia and cleared the way for the trial court to continue with its proceedings. Zia had skipped appearances in the case citing illness.
On October 6, she was taken to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment.
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Belagavi youth’s murder case projected as road accident, cracked in Uttara Kannada; Three arrested
Karwar: Uttara Kannada police have cracked a murder case in which a Belagavi youth was killed and his body burnt inside a car to make it appear like a road accident.
Addressing a press meet in the city, Superintendent of Police Deepan M.N. said three accused from Old Hubballi have been arrested in connection with the case. The crime was a pre-planned act driven by personal enmity, he said.
The case came to light on April 8 morning when a car (KA-04/MJ-8996) was found completely burnt in a roadside ditch near Talekumbri bus stand in Yellapur. Only charred human remains were found inside the vehicle. Initially, it was suspected to be an accident caused by overspeeding, and a case was registered at Yellapur police station based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s father, Jagannath Dhapale.
However, the father later expressed suspicion that his son’s death was not accidental, prompting a detailed investigation.
Taking the matter seriously, two special teams were formed under the leadership of Yellapur Inspector Ramesh Hanapur. On analysing technical evidence and CCTV footage, police found that it was a planned murder.
The accused have been identified as Abdul Raheem Basheer Ahmed Mujawar (32), Maulasab Bavahan Wada (36) and Dadapeer alias Aftab Mehboob Saab Balasangi (22), all chicken traders from Old Hubballi.
Police have seized the car used in the crime along with two scooters. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
Investigations revealed that the accused killed Nitesh Dhapale due to personal enmity and later set the car on fire along with the body to project it as an accident.
SP Deepan M.N. appreciated the efforts of Inspector Ramesh Hanapur, PSIs Rajashekhar Vandali and Siddappa Gudi, and the entire team for solving the complex case.
