Law Adviser Asif Nazrul on Friday said former prime minister Khaleda Zia was unjustly convicted in what he described as the most disgraceful and farcical trial in Bangladesh’s history, referring to the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. He recalled an incident from the trial, saying a defence lawyer had asked Khaleda Zia whether she had misappropriated orphan funds. “Hurt and astonished, Khaleda Zia repeated the question—‘Did I embezzle orphan money?’ The court treated this as her statement and convicted her on that basis. As a student of law, I can say with certainty that there cannot be a more disgraceful trial than this,” the law adviser said. Asif Nazrul remarked that Bangladesh would prosper only if the country is envisioned in the way Khaleda Zia had envisioned it.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 16, 2026 17:00 UTC