Tension ahead of graft case verdict against ex-Bangla PM

Bangladesh on Wednesday tightened security amid mounting tensions over an impending corruption trial verdict against ex-prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia on Thursday that may disqualify her from contesting the next general election.

Elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and armed police were called out to guard Dhaka streets while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League said their activists would be ready to "assist police" if the BNP tried to foment any unrest over the verdict, reports PTI.

According to media reports, police in the past several days arrested over 1,000 BNP activists, includ- ing some senior leaders, suspecting they could spearhead a violent campaign if Zia is convicted.

A Dhaka court is set to deliver the judgment in the trial in which Zia, 72, and five others, including her expatriate elder son Tarique Rahman, stand accused of embezzling 21 million takas (USD 252,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust. The prosecution said the charity, named after Zia's slain husband - military dictator-turned-president Ziaur Rahman existed only on paper. Legal experts said Zia, who served as premier for three terms, could face life imprisonment if found guilty of the charges while a conviction would simultaneously disqualify her from contesting the next general election slated for December.

Her party had boycotted the 2014 polls over its demands for an election-time non-party government, and became the opposition outside parliament. But it is expected to contest the upcoming polls. Political analysts said the BNP might see a political split as several senior leaders could disassociate themselves from Zia as her son Rahman, the senior vice president of the party, is seen as wielding authority from London while ignoring party veterans.