Dhaka, 4 Mar, Abnews: BNP has announced two days fresh programmes on Tuesday and Thursday demanding release of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced this during a press briefing held at the party’s Nayapaltan central office on Sunday.
The party will form human chains from 11.00am to 12.00pm on Tuesday across the country including the Dhaka city, Rizvi said. They will observe sit-in programmes across the country on Thursday, he added.
On Feb 8, a Dhaka court sentenced BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fines her Tk 2 crore for financial irregularities in the Zia Orphanage Trust.
The makeshift court delivered the verdict amid tight security. It also awarded 10 years of imprisonment to five others including her son Tarique Rahman.
Khaleda was present in the court at the time of pronouncing the verdict.
The court also fined Tk 2.10 crore each in the politically significant case ahead of the parliamentary election.
After Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad, Khaleda is the second head of the government convicted in a graft case.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK, and four others of misappropriating over 2.10 crore that came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.
Four other accused are former BNP MP Salimul Haq Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique and Mominur Rahman, nephew of late President Ziaur Rahman.Kamal Uddin Siddique and Mominur Rahman have long been absconding.
ABN/Adrian/Jasim/AD