The High Court has acquitted BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia of her 7-year sentence in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

The verdict was delivered today (Wednesday) by the High Court bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayetur Rahim, granting Khaleda Zia's appeal against the sentence.

Previously, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was sentenced to seven years in prison by a trial court in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case. Today, the High Court acquitted her by granting her appeal against the sentence.

After the verdict, Zainul Abedin, a lawyer in the case, spoke to reporters at the court premises. He said, "The court listened to us and stated, ‘I have read the appeal line by line and reviewed the evidence. The arguments you have presented have a legal basis. I accept the appeal.’ This means the appeal has been approved.”

The trial court delivered its verdict in the Zia Charitable Trust case on October 29, 2018. Khaleda Zia was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 1 million BDT. On November 18 of the same year, Khaleda Zia appealed the verdict to the High Court. After hearing the petition, a High Court dual bench accepted the appeal for hearing on April 30, 2018, and stayed the financial penalty imposed by the trial court.

Following the fall of the Awami League government amid student and public protests on August 5, Khaleda Zia was released on August 6, when her sentences in both the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust cases were pardoned. She later filed a petition to prepare the case paper book as part of the appeal process in the Zia Charitable Trust case.