Lawyer says Khaleda will challenge graft conviction in High Court

The chief counsel for Khaleda Zia has said they will challenge a five-year jail term for the BNP chief in the High Court.

Khandker Mahbub Hossain, speaking to the media after hearing the verdict at the court in Dhaka’s Bakhshibazar on Thursday, alleged the judgment was “dictated and designed to keep the former prime minister out of the next election”.

Khandker Mahbub Hossain (File Photo)

He said they would take the battle to the High Court and added: “We hope we will get justice there.”

Former law minister and BNP leader Moudud Ahmed told a press briefing the appeal to overturn the verdict will likely be filed on Sunday.

“We are trying to get a certified copy of the verdict today. We’ll file the appeal on Sunday if we get the copy,” he said.

Friday and Saturday are weekly holidays.

The Fifth Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka also sentenced the five others convicted of embezzling Tk 21 million in foreign aid meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust to 10 years in jail each.

They are Khaleda’s son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, former Magura MP Quazi Salimul Haq Kamal, former principal secretary to the prime minister Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, late president Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Mominur Rahman and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman also fined the five Tk 21.07 million each.

Khaleda’s counsels will seek bail from the High Court for her and a stay order on the trial court’s verdict, said Supreme Court Bar Association President Zainul Abedin, another lawyer for the BNP chief.

Asked whether Khaleda can contest the next general election after being convicted of graft, Zainul said there would be ‘no legal bar’ on the former prime minister to run in the polls if the verdict was stayed.

“There are a lot of examples of convicted candidates contesting in elections with a stay order on the verdicts. Many aspirants lost candidacy in Upazila and municipality polls after being convicted by lower courts, but they took part in the elections after the High Court stayed the verdicts. Many of them also won and are performing their duties.”    

The pro-BNP lawyers and those backed by the ruling Awami League took out processions on the Supreme Court premises in the morning amid tensions over the verdict.

The pro-BNP lawyers scuffled with police while trying to get out of the court premises. Police locked the gate to stop the protesters.