The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, has acquitted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. Alongside her, all other convicted individuals, including BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman, were also acquitted.

In its observation, the court stated that the case was motivated by political vendetta. Senior lawyers Zainul Abedin, Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, and others represented Khaleda Zia, while Advocate Asif Hossain appeared for the ACC and Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque represented the state.

Khaleda’s lawyers hailed the verdict as a triumph of justice. Earlier, on November 11, 2024, the Appellate Division granted leave to appeal and suspended the 10-year sentence handed down to Khaleda Zia in the case. It also directed her to submit the appeal’s summary within two weeks.

The corruption case originated in 2018 when a Dhaka Special Judge’s Court sentenced Khaleda Zia to five years in prison for allegedly embezzling funds meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust. Tarique Rahman and four other defendants, including former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and businessman Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, were sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined Tk 2.1 crore each. Subsequently, the High Court extended Khaleda’s sentence to 10 years, which she and the other convicts appealed to the Supreme Court, ultimately resulting in their acquittal.