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DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The Latest on the sentencing of Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia (all times local):
3 p.m.
A Bangladesh court has sentenced former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to five years in prison on corruption charges.
The conviction means that Zia, the longtime rival to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, will be barred from running in the next national elections scheduled for December.
Judge Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman announced the verdict in a courtroom in Dhaka's Old City in Zia's presence. She was convicted of embezzling $248,154 in donations meant for an orphanage trust established when she was prime minister from 2001-2006.
The judge also sentenced Zia's son, Tarique Rahman, and four others to 10 years in prison for their involvement in the crime.
Security forces have swarmed Bangladesh's cities ahead of the verdict, fearing clashes with Zia's supporters.
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