DHAKA, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The verdict in a corruption case against Bangladeshi ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and three others will be announced on Oct. 29, the court said on Tuesday.
Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Court-5 in Dhaka fixed the date after rejecting the petition filed by Zia's lawyer seeking adjournment of the hearing of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
In February, Zia, also chairperson of the largest opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sentenced to five years in prison in another Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
The Orphanage Trust graft case was filed in July 2008, saying Zia and five others including her elder son Tarique Rahman had embezzled over 20 million taka (253,164 U.S. dollars) from an orphanage trust during her 2001-2006 prime minister term.
In 2011, the anti-graft body sued Zia and three others for pocketing 31.5 million taka (397,435 U.S. dollars) of the Zia Charitable Trust.
The former prime minister has reportedly been facing dozens of cases, including five on corruption charges and 15 for masterminding violence during their anti-government movement since 2014.
Zia often said political vendettas are to blame for the cases against her and her son.?
