Khaleda Zia Acquitted: High Court Overturns Corruption Conviction

Bangladesh's High Court acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a corruption case, overturning her previous seven-year sentence. The case, initiated in 2011 by the Anti-Corruption Commission, accused Zia of misusing power to raise funds. This decision follows her release amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a later presidential pardon.

In a recent legal development, Bangladesh's High Court acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia of corruption charges, effectively overturning a prior seven-year sentence. The decision was made by a bench consisting of Justices AKM Asaduzzaman and Syed Enayet Hossain following an appeal by Zia.

The 2018 conviction had accused Zia of abusing her power to raise funds for the Zia Charitable Trust from untraceable sources. Initially, the Dhaka court had handed down a seven-year imprisonment sentence under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, coupled with a fine of Tk 1 million.

Filed in 2011 by the Anti-Corruption Commission, the case saw Zia imprisoned for over two years before her sentence was temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her release was finalized by an executive order in 2020 and later by the Bangladesh President in 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)