Prosecutors say Pecker's actions helped Trump deceive voters in the 2016 election
BNP chief Khaleda’s lawyers receive copy of verdict
Khaleda Zia’s counsels have received a copy of the verdict that convicted her of corruption.
Published : 19 Feb 2018, 10:42 AM
Updated : 19 Feb 2018, 02:17 PM
Also Read: Long verdict takes time: Law minister
Also Read: BNP delayed verdict copy: Qamrul
Ten days into the conviction, the copy of the verdict was made available on Monday to the BNP chief’s lawyers, which paves the way for them to challenge the judgment in the High Court and ask it to free her on bail.
The BNP is pinning its hopes on getting a stay order on the verdict from the higher court and getting the former prime minister out on bail, which will allow her to run in the next general elections by the end of this year.
It has alleged the government has delayed the copy of the verdict getting released to keep her in jail for some more days.
The ruling Awami League has refuted the charge, saying the BNP ‘deliberately dragged its feet’ in moving the trial court for a certified copy of the judgment.
The Election Commission has said it is for the court to decide whether or not to let Khaleda contest in the polls.
As the debate raged, the lawyers for Khaleda met the judge who they said on Sunday assured them of releasing the copy of the verdict on Monday.
Sanaullah Mia, one of the counsels for Khaleda, collected a certified copy of the verdict on Monday.
After receiving the copy, Masud Ahmed Talukder, another lawyer, said, “We’ll file the appeal tomorrow (Tuesday).”
Zainul Abedin Mejbah carrying the certified copy of the verdict.
Yet another of her counsel, Zainul Abedin Mejbah, said on Feb 14 they had submitted 3,000 stamped pages to the court for copying the verdict.
The judge said during the delivery of the summary verdict that the full verdict was of 632 pages.
It took about 1,100 stamped pages to copy the verdict.
On Feb 8, a Dhaka special judge’s court sentenced her to five years in prison after finding her guilty of embezzling foreign funds donated to an orphanage.
Khaleda, 72, was taken to the old jailhouse on Nazimuddin Road immediately after the verdict.
On that day, judge Md Akhteruzzaman read out a summary of the verdict, which also sentenced Khaleda’s son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and four others to 10 years in jail and fined them over Tk 21 million each.
RELATED STORIES
Modi, who is seeking a rare third consecutive term, referred to Muslims as "infiltrators" during a campaign speech on Sunday, drawing widespread criticism from opposition groups
He seeks a rare third term on the back of issues such as growth, welfare and Hindu nationalism
The JaSaD leader died at a Dhaka hospital on Friday morning, his family said
