Bangladesh ex-pm Zia sentenced to seven more years for corruption

BANGLADESH’S imprisoned opposition leader Khaleda Zia was handed another seven years in prison yesterday on corruption charges her supporters say are politically motivated to prevent her running in general elections due at the end of the year.

Zia, long a rival to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is already behind bars after being handed a five-year term in February on separate embezzlement charges.

Judge Md Akhtaruzaman yesterday found her guilty of misuse of power as prime minister in collecting $375,000 for the Zia Charitable Trust Fund from unknown sources.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was absent in court as she is currently hospitalised while serving a prison term. The terms will run concurrently, meaning she will spend an extra two years in jail.

The judge also sentenced three others to seven years in jail each for collecting the money from undeclared sources for the trust named after Zia’s late husband and former President Ziaur Rahman.

Her lawyers, who were also absent during the verdict, have consistently described the trial as “political vengeance” by Hasina, who has been accused of stifling her opponents.

The opposition vowed nationwide marches today to protest against the guilty verdict.

In February, Tarique Rahman, Zia’s elder son and heir apparent, and four others were also sentenced to 10 years in the case.

The fresh conviction is expected to further impede Zia’s chances of challenging her erstwhile ally Hasina in the parliamentary elections slated for December.

Zia boycotted the 2014 general election, which saw her archrival Hasina returned to power.

The BNP had been hoping a higher court would overturn Zia’s earlier sentence, setting her free and paving the way for the veteran opposition leader to run against Hasina.