[🇧🇩] Monitoring Khaleda Zia's political and health issues

[Saif]

Source : https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/khaleda-zias-bank-accounts-unfrozen-after-17-years-3681466

Khaleda Zia’s bank accounts unfrozen after 17 years

File photo

The National Board of Revenue has instructed banks to unfreeze the accounts of Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, a move that comes 17 years after it had ordered banks to block her accounts.

In August 2007, the NBR's Central Intelligence Cell directed banks to freeze the accounts of the BNP chairperson, who has been elected Bangladesh's prime minister twice since 1990.

The decision to freeze the accounts was based on a recommendation of a panel formed during the then Army-backed caretaker government, said a senior official of the NBR.

Since then, her accounts have remained blocked although the BNP has on several occasions demanded they be unfrozen.

The latest move came weeks after a mass uprising toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a long-time rival of Khaleda, on August 5, ending the Bangladesh Awami League's 15-year rule.

The NBR official added that they had received an application seeking to unfreeze the accounts from Khaleda's lawyer on Sunday.

"As there are no tax-related issues pending investigation relating to her, we have advised banks to unlock all her accounts. We have asked them to take immediate action and provide a compliance report," the official added.​

 

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Khaleda to go abroad for advance treatment

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia would go abroad for advance treatment as soon as possible although the destination is not finalised yet, her personal physician and the party’s standing committee member AZM Zahid Hossain said on Sunday.... ‘

www.newagebd.net

Khaleda to go abroad for advance treatment
Staff Correspondent 18 August, 2024, 21:41

Khaleda Zia. | File photo.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia would go abroad for advance treatment as soon as possible although the destination is not finalised yet, her personal physician and the party’s standing committee member AZM Zahid Hossain said on Sunday.

‘BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia will go abroad as soon as possible for advance treatment. But where would she go and get treatment from which hospital have not been finalised yet,’ Zhaid told reporters following a visit of National Institute of Opthalmology and Hospital where several students and people who were injured during the recent student-people uprising.

He also said that the physical condition of Khaleda Zia was now being monitored.

‘In due course, she will be taken abroad for treatment,’ he said.

Zahid said that more than 750 people, injured during the protest, received treatment in this hospital while many of them have returned home.

Many require long-term treatment, he said, adding that currently 11 patients are very critical here.

A day after Awami League president Sheikh Hasina’s fall amid student-people unprecedented uprising on August 5, Khaleda Zia was freed in an executive order.

Three-time former prime minister Khaleda Zia, 79, was sent to the old Dhaka jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.

Later in the same year, she was found guilty in another corruption case.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, on the condition that she would stay in her Gulshan house and would not leave the country.

Later, her sentence was suspended several times, for a duration of six months each time under the same conditions.

Khaleda Zia has been suffering from various ailments, including three blockages in her heart.​

 

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Khaleda Zia to fly abroad soon for treatment

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday that party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia would fly abroad soon for receiving advanced medical treatment. Mentioning her long struggle for democracy, he said, "No woman leader in the world has struggled

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Khaleda Zia to fly abroad soon for treatment
FE REPORT
Published :
Aug 17, 2024 08:47
Updated :
Aug 17, 2024 08:48

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday that party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia would fly abroad soon for receiving advanced medical treatment.

Mentioning her long struggle for democracy, he said, "No woman leader in the world has struggled for democracy like her (Begum). This housewife (Khaleda Zia) after the assassination of her husband Shaheed president Ziaur Rahman came out on the streets to save the party. She also struggled for restoring democracy by ousting autocrat Ershad. We must follow what she has contributed for the cause of the party. She remains constant to her courage".

Mirza Fakhrul came up with the observations at a doa and milad mahfil marking the 80th birth anniversary of party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at the party's headquarters at Nayapaltan in the capital.

He cautioned the party leaders and activists that their struggle was yet to be over after the fall of autocrat Sheikh Hasina.

Mr Fakhrul called upon his party stalwarts to be united and maintain utmost discipline to uphold the images of the BNP.

He said that the real success would come when the government elected (in a free, fair and neutral manner) by the people was established.

"Our sons had shed their blood and won victory. Many stalwarts of Chhatra Dal had also sacrificed their lives (during recent anti-Sheikh Hasina movement). No way to create division. We must be united," he continued.

"Our struggle is yet to be over. We are still in a floating state. Conspiracies are still going on. She (deposed Sheikh Hasina) is still hatching conspiracy against the country sitting in India. We must be cautious and united so that neo-fascist could not appear again (sit on our shoulder)," he maintained.

"They (Awami League men and deposed Sheikh Hasina) want to create a trouble in the country citing the plea of communal disharmony," he said.

Highlighting the importance for maintaining communal harmony in the country, he called upon his party stalwarts to constitute peace brigades in their respective areas to protect the minorities' lives and properties.

"You (party stalwarts) must form 'peace brigades' in your respective areas to save the minorities' lives, their temples, churches and defend their businesses and properties," he stated.

He ur0ged the party leaders and activists to move the country forward with peace and sans vengeance as directed by party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

"We have to continue our struggle. Otherwise we might fall into trouble," he cautioned his party followers.

About the interim government, Mr Fakhrul further said "We have to give them (interim government) a logical time to remove all irregularities that have been piled up over the past several years (during the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League regime)."

The doa and milad mahfil were also held praying for the salvation of the departed souls of those who had sacrificed their lives during the recent student-people movement against the Sheikh Hasina regime and early recovery of those who got wounded.

BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, Vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Joint Secretaries General Khairul Kabir Khokon and Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel and party's Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku were present, among others.​

 

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Attack on Khaleda’s motorcade: Salahuddin, Zayed Khan, Shahriar Nazim Joy sued

Bangladesh Football Federation President Kazi Salahuddin, actors Zayed Khan, Shahriar Nazim Joy and Shazu Khadem and 47 others were sued yesterday on charge of attacking the motorcade of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at Fakirapool intersection in April of 2015

www.thedailystar.net

Attack on Khaleda’s motorcade: Salahuddin, Zayed Khan, Shahriar Nazim Joy sued

Kazi Salahuddin, Zayed Khan and Shahriar Nazim Joy

Bangladesh Football Federation President Kazi Salahuddin, actors Zayed Khan, Shahriar Nazim Joy and Shazu Khadem and 47 others were sued yesterday on charge of attacking the motorcade of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at Fakirapool intersection in April of 2015.

Shahriar Imam Asip, publicity and publication secretary of BNP's Motijheel Thana unit, filed the case against them with the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Md Zaki Al Farabi.

Upon the hearing, the magistrate recorded the statement of the complainant and asked the officer-in-charge of Motijheel Police Station to register the complaint as a first information report (FIR).

Former AL lawmakers Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Sheikh Helaluddin, Colonel (retd) Faruk Khan, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Workers Party chief Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtanrik Dal chief Hasanul Haque Inu, former Dhaka South City Corporation mayors Syed Khokon and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh have also been accused in the case.

In the complaint, the complainant alleged that as per the direction of high-profile leaders,the accusedequipped with hockey sticks, firearms and crude bombs, attacked on Khaleda Zia's motorcade at Fakirapool intersection around 6:30pm on April 20, 2015 when she was on her way to join a mayoral election campaign in support of BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas.

The accused also vandalised over 14 cars and four motorbikes and assaulted several leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisation, leaving a number of people, including the complainant, injured.​

 

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UK envoy Sarah Cooke meets Khaleda

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke met BNP chairperson Begum khaleda Zia and enquired about her health conditions tonight

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UK envoy Sarah Cooke meets Khaleda

Photo: Courtesy/BNP's official facebook page

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke met BNP chairperson Begum khaleda Zia and enquired about her health conditions tonight.

The meeting was held at BNP chairperson's Firoza residence in the city's Gulshan area at 8:30pm, said BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.

It was Khaleda Zia's first meeting with any foreign envoy since 2018 following her acquittal from her convictions in graft cases.

Sarah Cooke met Khaleda ahead of her visit to the UK for better treatment, party sources said.

BNP standing committee member Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, chief of her medical board Prof Shahabuddin Talukder, Dr FM Siddique, and member of the Special Assistant to BNP Chairperson's Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee Tabith Awal were present.

On July 8, Khaleda Zia, a former prime minister, was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital six days after she had been discharged from the same hospital with various ailments.

On August 24, she returned home after receiving treatment at the hospital for 45 days.

A group of specialist doctors, led by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder, successfully installed a pacemaker in Khaleda Zia's chest on June 23.

Khaleda has long been battling various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues related to the kidney, lung, heart, and eyes.

Khaleda's doctors have been recommending sending her abroad since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in November 2021.

On October 26 last year, three US specialist doctors completed the hepatic procedure known as the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS procedure) to stop water accretion in Khaleda Zia's stomach and chest, and bleeding in her liver.

She was placed in Old Dhaka Central Jail on February 8, 2018, after a special court sentenced her to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. On October 30, 2018, the High Court raised her punishment to 10 years. Later, she was convicted in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail after 776 days through an executive order, suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020 with conditions that she would stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country.

On August 6 last, Khaleda Zia was completely freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

The president passed the order under Article 49 of the Bangladesh Constitution, according to a gazette issued by the home ministry on August 6.

Article 49 states that "The president shall have power to grant pardons, reprieves, and respites and to remit, suspend, or commute any sentence passed by any court, tribunal, or other authority."​

 

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চিকিৎসার জন্য খালেদা জিয়াকে বিদেশে পাঠানোর সব প্রস্তুতি সম্পন্ন: ডা. জাহিদ

শারীরিক সুস্থতার ওপর বিদেশে নিয়ে যাওয়া নির্ভর করছে বলে জানান তিনি।

bangla.thedailystar.net

চিকিৎসার জন্য খালেদা জিয়াকে বিদেশে পাঠানোর সব প্রস্তুতি সম্পন্ন: ডা. জাহিদ
শারীরিক সুস্থতার ওপর বিদেশে নিয়ে যাওয়া নির্ভর করছে বলে জানান তিনি।

রাতে বিএনপি চেয়ারপারসন গুলশানের বাসায় ফেরার পর প্রেস ব্রিফিং করেন ডা. এ জেড এম জাহিদ। ছবি: সংগৃহীত

উন্নত চিকিৎসার জন্য বিএনপি চেয়ারপারসন খালেদা জিয়াকে বিদেশে পাঠাতে মেডিকেল বোর্ড সব প্রস্তুতি সম্পন্ন করেছে বলে বিএনপির স্থায়ী কমিটির সদস্য এ জেড এম জাহিদ হোসেন জানিয়েছেন।

আজ বুধবার রাতে খালেদা জিয়াকে হাসপাতাল থেকে গুলশানের বাসায় আনার পর এক ব্রিফিংয়ে ডা. জাহিদ এ কথা জানান।

তিনি বলেন, 'আমাদের সব প্রস্তুতি সম্পন্ন। এমনকি কোন হাসপাতালে তাকে নেওয়া হবে তাও ঠিক করা হয়ে গেছে।'

'আমরা দুটি হাসপাতাল ঠিক করেছি একটি যুক্তরাষ্ট্রে এবং আরেকটি যুক্তরাজ্যে। দুই হাসপাতালের কনসালট্যান্টদের সঙ্গে আলাপ চূড়ান্ত হয়েছে,' বলেন তিনি।

ডা. জাহিদ আরও বলেন, 'চেয়ারপারসনকে কীভাবে বিদেশে নেওয়া হবে, তাও ঠিক করা হয়েছে। আইনগত যে জটিলতা আছে, সেটা নিয়ে বর্তমান সরকারের সঙ্গেও কথা বলেছি।'

'এখন শুধু উনার শারীরিক সুস্থতার ওপর নির্ভর করবে নিয়ে যাওয়া। যখন তিনি উড়োজাহাজে থাকেন, বিশেষ করে টেকঅফ ও ল্যান্ডিংয়ের সময় তার হার্টের সমস্যা, লিভারের সমস্যা এবং কিডনির জটিলতাগুলো আছে, সবকিছু মিলিয়ে চিকিৎসকরা এখনো মনে করছেন যে ১২-১৩ ঘণ্টা জার্নি তিনি করতে পারবেন কিনা,' বলেন এই চিকিৎসক।​

 

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Khaleda Zia donates Tk 200,000 for flood victims

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia donated Tk 200,000 to the party's central relief fund on Wednesday to assist flood victims in the country’s northern region. On her behalf, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir handed over the money to Prof AZM Zahid Hossain, the convener of the BNP's

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Khaleda Zia donates Tk 200,000 for flood victims
UNB
Published :
Oct 09, 2024 20:04
Updated :
Oct 09, 2024 20:04

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia donated Tk 200,000 to the party's central relief fund on Wednesday to assist flood victims in the country’s northern region.

On her behalf, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir handed over the money to Prof AZM Zahid Hossain, the convener of the BNP's Relief Collection Committee, at the party's Nayapaltan central office.

Fakhrul said he met Khaleda on Tuesday after she requested him to come to her Gulshan residence.

“When I met her, she gave me Tk 200,000 to contribute to the party’s relief fund, saying it was her personal money for the flood victims,” the BNP leader explained.

He said Khaleda has always stood by people and has led the nation during the times of crisis.

“Unfortunately, the fascist Awami League regime has kept her confined for six years on false charges. She became seriously ill during her time in jail and continues to suffer from health issues,” Fakhrul added.

The BNP secretary general urged the people of the country to pray for Khaleda's speedy recovery.

Earlier, on August 23, the BNP formed an eight-member committee, led by standing committee member Zahid Hossain, to collect relief materials for the flood-affected people in the southeastern districts.

At that time, the party raised some Tk 200 million in cash and relief materials for flood victims in eastern districts, including Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Cumilla, Khagrachari, Habiganj and parts of Chattogram and Chandpur.

As some northern districts were also affected by the floods, the party has now resumed its fundraising efforts to support the victims and alleviate their suffering.​

 

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Shamsuzzaman Dudu for withdrawal of cases against Khaleda, Tarique

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu on Tuesday demanded immediate withdrawal of all 'repressive cases' against former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. He made the call at a discussion organized by Banglades

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Shamsuzzaman Dudu for withdrawal of cases against Khaleda, Tarique
FE Online Desk
Published :
Oct 15, 2024 22:23
Updated :
Oct 15, 2024 22:23

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu on Tuesday demanded immediate withdrawal of all 'repressive cases' against former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

He made the call at a discussion organized by Bangladesh Mofasswal Journalists' Association at the Jatiya Press Club here demanding immediate steps to ensure return of Tarique Rahman to his motherland from exile, BSS reports.

Dudu said, "Withdraw all the cases filed against BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia as the cases were filed with vengeance attitudes by deposed dictator Sheikh Hasina . . . And also withdraw the false and repressive cases filed against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to ensure his return to his homeland".

Shamsuzzaman Dudu alleged that BNP Chairperson and three-time former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia was brutally tortured.

He said Begum Zia was kept in jail for years by implicating her in several fabricated cases to take revenge.

"The reason behind this was nothing but to take revenge because country's popular leader Begum Khaleda Zia who has always been uncompromising in the movements to establish democracy . . . she also has struggled for the country and its people throughout her life," Dudu added.

This most popular leader of Bangladesh has dedicated her entire life to protect the independence and democracy, he mentioned.

About Tarique Rahman, the BNP leader said, "BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has been sentenced in connection with a false case. He was forced to spend his entire youth life abroad with a false case," Dudu added.

He added: "Not only that, the erstwhile fascist government did not allow his any speech to be published in the newspapers and media of the country. Although the dictator has gone, the cases of both of them are yet to withdraw."

Journalists' association president Sakhawat-Ibne-Moin Chowdhury presided over the discussion while BNP Joint Secretary General and former DUCSU GS Khairul Kabir Khokon, BNP executive committee member and former MP Nazim Uddin Alam, BNP leader Abu Naser Md Rahmatullah, Krishak Dal leader SK Sadi, President of Desh Bachao Manush Bachao Andolan KM Rakibul Islam Ripon, among others, spoke at the discussion.​

 

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HC scraps 11 cases against Khaleda

The High Court yesterday scrapped the trial proceedings of 11 cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

www.thedailystar.net

HC scraps 11 cases against Khaleda

Photo: Collected

The High Court yesterday scrapped the trial proceedings of 11 cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The cases were filed in connection with arson, violence, and sedition with different police stations in Dhaka in 2015.

Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain delivered the verdicts after hearing 11 petitions filed by Khaleda in 2017 seeking to quash proceedings of the cases.

Khaleda's lawyers Zainul Abedin, Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Kayser Kamal, and Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim told reporters that trial proceedings of 10 arson and violence cases were cancelled on the grounds that their clients were not present at the places of occurrences mentioned in the cases.

Also, the HC quashed the sedition case against the BNP chief as the case was filed by a lawyer without taking permission from the home ministry, said Mahbub Uddin Khokon.

BNP's Legal Affairs Secretary Kayser Kamal told The Daily Star that former prime minister and BNP chief Khaleda has been accused in 37 cases lodged during the rule of Awami League government on various charges, including corruption, violence, arson, defamation, and sedition.

Of the cases, the HC yesterday scrapped 11 cases, the lower courts concerned in different districts earlier dismissed nine defamation cases and the president granted her clemency in two graft cases in which she was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, the lawyer said, adding that she is on bail in the other cases.

Among other pro-BNP lawyers Ragib Rauf Chowdhury, Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal, Mohammad Siddique Ullah Miah, Anisur Rahman Raihan, Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan, HM Shanjid Siddique, and Maksud Ullah were representing Khaleda in the court during the hearing on the petitions, while Deputy Attorney General Jasim Sarkar represented the state.

Khaleda, who was under house arrest for the last five years, was released on August 6 this year after the president pardoned her, a day after Hasina resigned and fled the country amid a mass uprising.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin, exercising his power under article 49 of the constitution, granted Khaleda clemency in the two cases based on the law ministry's recommendation and ordered her release.

On February 8, 2018, Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Jail after a special court in Dhaka sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. The High Court later doubled her five-year jail term.

In the same year, the same special court in Dhaka sentenced Khaleda to seven years in jail in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with the condition that she stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country.​

 

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HC accepts Khaleda’s appeal in Zia Charitable Trust case for hearing

The High Court on Sunday accepted for hearing Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s appeal against her conviction and sentence in the Zia Charitable Trust case.

www.newagebd.net

HC accepts Khaleda’s appeal in Zia Charitable Trust case for hearing
Staff Correspondent 03 November, 2024, 14:41

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The High Court on Sunday accepted for hearing Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s appeal against her conviction and sentence in the Zia Charitable Trust case.

Khaleda, also former prime minister, filed the appeal in 2018 following her sentence of seven-year jail, which was remitted by the president after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina government amid the student-people uprising on August 5.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain permitted Khaleda’s layers to prepare a paper book in her expense for the hearing of the appeal.

Her lawyer Zainul Abedin, argued that the president remitted Khaleda’s sentence while the appeal remained pending with the court.

Khaleda did not request administrative relief and she sought a legal resolution instead as it was a politically motivated case, he contended.

In addition to the Zia Charitable Trust case, another appeal remains pending with the Appellate Division against Khaleda’s sentence in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.

In Zia Orphanage case, the High Court on October 30, 2018, following the Anti-Corruption Commission appeal, increased her sentence to imprisonment for 10 years from five years.

Bothe the cases were filed during the 2007-08 military-controlled interim regime. Khaleda also faces 35 more cases.

Of the cases, 19 have been dismissed by the courts, and her sentences in both the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases were remitted following Hasina’s ouster and escape to India the mass uprising on August 5.

In March 2020, amid the Covid pandemic, the Awami League government granted Khaleda temporary release from prison under an executive order on conditions.

The conditional release has been extended multiple times to keep her out of jail considering her health condition.​

 

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SC decision on Khaleda’s appeal today

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday informed the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court that there was no misappropriation of funds of the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman...

www.newagebd.net

SC decision on Khaleda’s appeal today
Staff Correspondent 10 November, 2024, 13:34

Khaleda Zia. | File photo

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday informed the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court that there was no misappropriation of funds of the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Orphanage Trust and that the money remained unused in the trust’s account.

On February 8, 2018, a Dhaka Special Judge’s Court sentenced Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia to five years while five others, including her eldest son Tarique Rahman, were jailed for varying terms on the charge of embezzling Tk 2.10 crore from the orphanage trust.

The case alleged that the funds, intended for the trust, had been transferred to a private account.

Later, on October 30, 2018, the High Court Division doubled Khaleda’s sentence to 10 years following a petition by the ACC.

The High Court also dismissed the ex-prime minister’s appeal for acquittal.

ACC counsel Asif Hasan announced the commission’s revised stance, now in favor of Khaleda’s acquittal, before a three-member Appellate Division bench chaired by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to give its decision on her appeal on Monday by determining whether her sentence will be overturned.

The case, filed on July 3, 2008, under a military-backed caretaker government, initially claimed that Khaleda abused her position as a prime minister from 1991 to 1996 by misappropriating Tk 2.10 crore of the Tk 4.44 crore donated by the Saudi King to the Prime Minister’s Office for building the orphanage.

During hearings, Khaleda’s lawyers, Zainul Abedin and Kayser Kamal, argued that the conviction was ‘one-sided’ and politically motivated.

Attorney general Md Asaduzzaman suggested that the case was a form of political harassment, targeting Khaleda and her family members under both the army-backed interim government and the subsequent Awami League regime.

On November 3, 2024, the High Court also agreed to hear Khaleda’s separate appeal in the Zia Charitable Trust case, in which she was sentenced to jail for seven years in 2018.

Her sentences involving the cases relating to Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust were remitted by the president on August 6, a day after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime amid a student-mass uprising on August 5.

The BNP chairperson is now facing 16 other cases.

After the fall of the Hasina regime, different courts dismissed 19 cases against Khaleda.

The BNP chief’s lawyers argued that the president remitted Khaleda’s sentences while the appeal remained pending with the court.

Khaleda did not request administrative relief and she sought a legal resolution instead as it was a politically motivated case, they contended.

In March 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the then Awami League regime, under an executive order, granted Khaleda’s conditional and temporary release due to her poor health condition.

The time of her release was extended several times until her sentences were remitted by the president.​

 

[Saif]

SC stays HC verdict on Khaleda’s sentence in Zia Orphanage Trust Case

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday stayed a 2018 High Court ruling that had extended Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s prison sentence from...

www.newagebd.net

SC stays HC verdict on Khaleda’s sentence in Zia Orphanage Trust Case
Staff Correspondent 11 November, 2024, 11:10

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia. | Collected photo

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday stayed a 2018 High Court ruling that had extended Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s prison sentence from five years to 10 years in the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Orphanage Trust case.

A three-member Appellate Division bench led by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam granted the stay, temporarily halting the High Court’s order that had increased the trial court’s sentence and rejected Khaleda’s appeal seeking acquittal from embezzlement charges.

The Apex Court, simplifying the legal process for the former prime minister, also allowed her to file an appeal against the High Court decision without the need to prepare a paper-book.

Khaleda’s legal team was instructed to submit a concise argument on the appeal within two weeks.

On the expiry of two weeks, the team will have to seek a date from the chamber judge for holding a hearing on the appeal.

The High Court, responding to a petition submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission, doubled Khaleda’s prison sentence on October 30, 2018,

On February 8, 2018, a Dhaka Special Judge’s Court sentenced Khaleda to five years and her son, Tarique Rahman, along with others, to varying prison terms over the alleged misappropriation of Tk 2.10 crore from the orphanage trust.

On Sunday, the ACC’s counsel, Asif Hasan, informed the Appellate Division that no evidence of fund misappropriation was found, and the Tk 2.10 crore, along with interest, remained intact in the trust’s account.

This revision of the ACC’s stance now supports Khaleda who is seeking acquittal.

The case, filed in 2008 during a military-backed caretaker government, accused Khaleda of misusing her position as prime minister from 1991 to 1996 to divert Tk 2.10 crore out of Tk 4.44 crore donated by the Saudi king.

The allegation claimed that the funds were transferred to a private account instead of being used for the orphanage.

The president on August 6, a day after the fall of the Awami League regime amid a student-mass uprising, remitted Khaleda’s sentences in both the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust cases.

Khaleda currently faces 16 other cases, while 19 cases against her were dismissed after the fall of the AL regime on August 5.

Her legal team argued that the president had previously remitted her sentences in both the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust cases, where she had received a seven-year sentence.

Her appeal in the Zia Charitable Trust case was accepted for hearing by the High Court on November 3.

During proceedings on Monday, Khaleda’s lawyers, Zainul Abedin and Kayser Kamal, argued that Khaleda sought a legal, not administrative, resolution.

They said that the case was politically motivated.

Attorney general Md Asaduzzaman suggested that the case was politically charged, targeting Khaleda and her family under the caretaker and subsequent Awami League governments, despite her lack of knowledge and involvement with the fund.

In March 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Awami League government conditionally and temporarily released Khaleda on humanitarian grounds due to her poor health. Her release period was extended multiple times until remitting her sentences by the president.​

 

[Saif]

BNP’s Alal demands return of Khaleda’s cantonment house

BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal on Friday demanded that the government return the party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s house on Shaheed Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment, which was taken back by the Awami League regime. Speaking to reporters at the grave of

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

BNP’s Alal demands return of Khaleda’s cantonment house
UNB
Published :
Nov 22, 2024 20:30
Updated :
Nov 22, 2024 20:30

BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal on Friday demanded that the government return the party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s house on Shaheed Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment, which was taken back by the Awami League regime.

Speaking to reporters at the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, he also said BNP has confidence in the newly formed Election Commission, reports UNB.

“Khaleda Zia was forcibly ousted from her residence at Main Road in just a single dress, even before the case concerning the matter was resolved. The government should take steps to help her heal from the trauma associated with that house,” the BNP leader said.

Stating that the BNP chief was unfairly evicted from her cantonment house, he urged the government to take steps to ensure justice for her.

As the wife of a former Army Chief, Alal said it was natural for Khaleda to attend the Armed Forces Day reception in the cantonment, but she was unable to do so for nearly a decade.

“The expression of Khaleda Zia that we witnessed at Senakunja was like a bird that had been chained for years and was finally set free,” he observed.

Khaleda Zia attended the Armed Forces Day reception at Senakunja on Friday, after 11 years.

Alal, along with leaders and workers of Jatiyatabadi Prochar Dal, paid homage to late President Ziaur Rahman by placing a wreath at his grave in the capital, marking the 13th founding anniversary of the organisation.

On April 8, 2009, the Awami League government cancelled the allotment of Khaleda Zia’s Shaheed Mainul Road house in Dhaka Cantonment, citing several irregularities in the allotment within the military zone.

Subsequently, on November 13, 2010, she was evicted from the house where she had lived for 38 years, since her husband Ziaur Rahman served as deputy chief of the army. After Zia’s assassination in 1981, then Army Chief HM Ershad allocated the 2.72-acre property to her at a token price.

Asked for his comment on the formation of the new Election Commission (EC), Alal said BNP want to place its trust in the newly formed Commission. “We hope the Commission will demonstrate its competence through its actions, rather than engaging in excessive rhetoric.”

He also stated that the formation of the new EC marks the beginning of the electoral process. “We expect the reform work initiated by the government will be completed swiftly to facilitate the holding of the national election.”​

 

[Saif]

Khaleda Zia acquitted in two cases

Former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was acquitted in two cases related to the Barapukuria coalmine and the Zia Charitable Trust on Wednesday...

www.newagebd.net

Khaleda Zia acquitted in two cases
Staff Correspondent 27 November, 2024, 16:40

Khaleda Zia | BSS photo

Former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was acquitted in two cases related to the Barapukuria coalmine and the Zia Charitable Trust on Wednesday.

The High Court acquittal overturned a lower court verdict that sentenced her to seven years in prison in 2018.

The rulings marked a crucial legal victory for the veteran politician, who has faced numerous cases over the years.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain also released her late political secretary Harris Chowdhury, and Monirul Islam, former private secretary to Dhaka’s ex-mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed the Zia Charitable Trust case in 2011, alleging embezzlement of trust funds.

However, the High Court on Wednesday ruled in favour of Khaleda’s appeal, which argued that the charges were politically motivated.

Khaleda’s sentence in the case had been remitted by a presidential order following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government and her subsequent fleeing to India facing a student-led uprising on August 5.

In a separate decision, Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 acquitted Khaleda and two former cabinet members, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case.

Filed by the ACC in 2008, the case accused 16 individuals of misusing power to award a contract to a Chinese company, allegedly causing a loss of Tk 159 crore to the state.

Despite clearing Khaleda and her colleagues, the court framed charges against four other accused, paving the way for the trial to proceed.

Khaleda’s legal team hailed the decisions as a significant step toward justice.

Her senior counsel Zainul Abedin argued before the High Court that Khaleda had sought a legal resolution, refusing to rely on administrative relief.

He emphasised that the cases against her were part of a broader pattern of politically motivated charges.

Khaleda, who has faced a total of 37 cases, has now been cleared in at least 20 of them, according to her lawyer Zoynal Abedin Meshbah.

Five of the cases, including the Barapukuria and Zia Charitable Trust cases, were filed during the military-backed caretaker government with proceedings continuing under the Awami League government.

Despite Wednesday’s rulings, Khaleda’s legal battles are far from over.

Her appeal against a ten-year sentence in the Zia Orphanage Trust case remains pending with the Appellate Division.

The ACC had initially sought an increase in her sentence, which the High Court granted in 2018, raising it from five to ten years.

Another high-profile case involving Niko Resources, filed during the caretaker government, also remains pending at Dhaka Special Judge’s Court.

In March 2020, amid the Covid pandemic, the Awami League government granted Khaleda temporary release from prison under an executive order on conditions.

The conditional release has been extended multiple times to keep her out of jail considering her health condition.​

 

[Saif]

Chinese envoy meets BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Wednesday evening. The one-hour and 20-minute meeting, which began around 7:30 pm, was held at Khaleda Zia’s residence in the city’s Gulshan area, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. The Chines

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Chinese envoy meets BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia
UNB
Published :
Dec 04, 2024 21:43
Updated :
Dec 04, 2024 21:43

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Wednesday evening.

The one-hour and 20-minute meeting, which began around 7:30 pm, was held at Khaleda Zia’s residence in the city’s Gulshan area, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.

The Chinese ambassador exchanged greetings with Khaleda Zia and inquired about her health.

During the meeting, Yao Wen presented a traditional Chinese wall banner to the BNP chairperson.

BNP Standing Committee member Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain and Vice Chairman Altaf Hossain Chowdhury were also present.​