Bangladesh court doubles jail term for opposition leader

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A Bangladesh court on Tuesday doubled a jail term for imprisoned opposition leader Khaleda Zia, from five to 10 years, following a prosecution appeal.

The decision came the day after Zia, 73, was ordered jailed for seven years in a separate case, piling pressure on the opposition ahead of a national election.

The increased term was ordered over embezzlement charges for which Zia was sentenced in February.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition movement that Zia still leads from behind bars, has vowed nationwide marches later Tuesday to protest the verdict.

Zia was originally found guilty and sentenced to five years for embezzling money meant for an orphanage, a charge her supporters say is politically motivated.

That verdict in February triggered violent clashes in major cities across the Muslim-majority democracy of 160 million, with opposition demonstrators clashing with police and activists from the ruling party.

Zia, widow of assassinated military dictator Ziaur Rahman, faces dozens of separate charges related to violence and corruption that her lawyers insist are baseless.

Source(s): AFP