The Supreme Court of Bangladesh acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the corruption case Corruption news

The ruling is the latest court victory for the former prime minister, who was released from house arrest after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August.

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a corruption case in 2008, overturning a previous 10-year prison sentence.

In 2018, the country’s Supreme Court accused Zia and others of misappropriating funds meant for orphaned children from 2001 to 2006, when he was the last prime minister.

But following an appeal, a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Wednesday acquitted all other accused in the case, including Zia and his son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

“The case was so despicable that both those who filed an appeal and those who could not file an appeal were acquitted,” defense lawyer Zaynul Abedin told the press after the verdict.

The verdict is the latest court victory for Zia and his family, 79, who is from the BNP, one of the two main factions that dominate the country’s politics.

Last November, Zia was acquitted in another corruption case in which he was accused of embezzling 31.5 million taka ($260,000) from another trust in 2005.

Earlier this month, he was flown to London to be treated for health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver and heart problems.

Since August, Bangladesh has been ruled by an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled to India. mass protests against his authority.

Hasina’s ouster led to Zia’s release from house arrest in late August. The former prime minister suspended Zia’s prison term in 2020 on health grounds, with the condition that his longtime rival refrain from foreign travel and political involvement.

The BNP has always maintained that the charges were politically motivated, accusing Hasina’s then government of targeting Zia for political reasons.

On Wednesday, Zia’s legal team expressed optimism that the Supreme Court ruling could pave the way for him to run in the next parliamentary elections, expected to be held later this year or early 2026.

Last month, the high court also acquitted Rahman and others in connection with the 2004 grenade attack on Hasina’s rally.