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Khaleda Zia gets 5 years in jail for corruption (Second Lead)

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Dhaka, Feb 8 (IANS) A Bangladesh court on Thursday sentenced former Prime Minister and the country’s main opposition leader Khaleda Zia to five years in prison on corruption charges that she and her supporters described as a “politically motivated” attempt to keep her out of general elections.

Amid heightened security across Bangladesh, the special judge’s court convicted the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson of embezzling $252,000 in foreign donations for the Zia Orphanage Trust, bdnews24.com reported.

Zia appealed for calm in the country following the verdict and urged all to respect the law, said her lawyer Masud Ahmed.

“I will be back. Do not worry and be strong,” she told weeping relatives, according to the Daily Star newspaper.

Her lawyer Ahmed called the case against Zia a “political trial” and said the 632-page ruling was full of contradictions. “We will file an appeal against the verdict next week,” he said.

Traffic was thrown out of gear and shops closed as security forces took the 72-year-old politician to the old central jail in Dhaka after the verdict.

The court also sentenced Zia’s eldest son and BNP’s senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman to 10 years in jail. A similar jail term was handed down to four of her aides.

Thousands of Zia’s supporters had gathered outside the court to hear the verdict amid a heavy deployment of security forces, who used teargas to disperse them.

BNP’s joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the sentence was a “blueprint to destroy Begum Khaleda Zia,”adding that the “people of Bangladesh will reject this verdict.”

Zia, who headed the Bangladesh government twice (1991-1996 and 2001-2006), has repeatedly pleaded not-guilty and claimed she was a victim of “political witch hunt”, masterminded by rival and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Although she has been named in 13 cases of corruption, violence and sedition and has put under house arrest several times this is the first sentence against the BNP leader. The sentence means she is barred from parliamentary polls due this year.

“Since the court has been able to prove the charges against her and considering her social and physical status, Zia has been sentenced to five years in jail,” the judge said.

Earlier, there were clashes between security forces and opposition protesters who had defied security measures to escort the car taking Zia to court.

Several police officers were injured in the violence a few kilometres from the court, reports said.

The trial against Zia centred around the donation intended for an orphanage trust set up when she was Prime Minister. The charges against her had already led to her boycotting elections in 2014, which triggered widespread protests at that time.

Zia’s BNP said hundreds of its supporters were arrested in the run-up to the verdict, adding that it will hold protests on Friday against the conviction.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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