TDS Desk:

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and others convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Later, a pro-BNP lawyer said now there is no legal bar to prevent Khaleda from contesting in elections.

On Wednesday morning, A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed delivered the acquittal order saying the accused were punished illegally simply to tarnish their reputation out of political vengeance.

Ailing Khaleda Zia has served more than two years in prison due to false conviction.

On 8 February 2018, a Dhaka court sentenced her to five years in prison. Later, in an unprecedented move, her sentence was raised to ten years, and the same punishment was announced for her son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

Khaleda filed a leave-to-appeal petition last year challenging the conviction verdict. Afterwards, four days of intense hearing was held, during when the state claimed the conviction was made purely based on “speculation,” and the plaintiff could not produce any evidence of wrongdoing against Khaleda and others accused in the graft case.