A JUDGE sentenced Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to seven years in jail yesterday after finding her guilty of misusing her power to collect money for a charity fund named after her late husband.

Her supporters see the multiple criminal cases against Zia and her party as attempts to weaken the opposition ahead of elections expected in December. But the government says they have specific charges against those accused.

The 73-year-old Zia was absent from the filled courtroom in Dhaka and her lawyers also skipped the proceedings, saying they would not get justice.

Zia is serving a prison term of five years in a separate corruption case and was transferred to a hospital earlier this month for what her party said were multiple medical problems.

(SD-Agencies)