Dhaka: Expressing immediate reaction after the verdict of Zia Orphanage Trust Graft case where BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been awarded five years of jail, her lawyer said this verdict is politically motivated.

The court also handed down 10 years of imprisonment to five other accused including BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman and fined them with Tk 2 crore 10 lakh.

Judge Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman of special court-5 announced the verdict of the sensational case at a crowded courtroom in Bakshibazar of Dhaka’s old town on Thursday afternoon.

Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said, ‘The court pronounced the verdict being motivated and influenced by politics. We will go to top court for justice.’