DHAKA, Jan 15 (Bernama-dpa) -- Bangladesh's Supreme Court has acquitted former prime minister Khaleda Zia in a corruption case, lifting a previous conviction and 10-year prison sentence, court officials said on Wednesday, reported German news agency (dpa).
A five-judge panel led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed overturned the verdicts delivered by the trial court in the case and the High Court in 2018, according to defence lawyer, Zaynul Abedin.
All other defendants in the case, including Zia's son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairperson Tareque Rahman, were also acquitted, he added.
Zia, 79, is a three-time former prime minister, who mostly served during the 1990s, and has led the BNP since 1981, following the assassination of her husband, former president and party founder Ziaur Rahman.
The former prime minister was imprisoned between February 2018 and March 2020 after being convicted of misappropriating funds meant for orphans. Initially sentenced to five years, a higher court later extended her prison term to 10 years.
The BNP always maintained that the charges were politically motivated, accusing the then-government of Sheikh Hasina of targeting Zia for political reasons.
Hasina, Zia's long-time rival, suspended her jail term on health grounds in 2020, under the condition that Zia refrains from travelling abroad and participating in politics.
Following Hasina's ouster during a violent uprising in August last year, the BNP took politically sensitive cases to the Supreme Court, seeking justice under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
Hasina fled to neighbouring India during the unrest.
Zia's legal team expressed optimism that Wednesday's ruling could clear the way for her to contest in the next parliamentary elections, expected to be held in late 2025 or early 2026 under the interim government.
Earlier this month, Zia travelled to London for medical treatment, marking her first international trip in years.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
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