The court also fined them Tk 10 lakh each, in default, to suffer six months more in jail.
The court also ordered confiscation of the 42-katha land bought against the trust’s name.
Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Court-5 pronounced the 446-page verdict in absence of Khaleda, now undergoing treatment at Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) under a special medical board formed by the government.
The court started reading out the verdict at 11:25 am.
There was no defence lawyer at the court when the verdict was delivered.
The three other accused in the case are Harris Chowdhury, political secretary of the then prime minister Khaleda between 2001 and 2006; Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary to Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka. Among them, Harris remained absconding.
With today’s verdict, judgments in two cases have been pronounced against Khaleda among 38 cases filed against her.
Earlier on October 16, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman fixed the date for delivering the verdict.
Following a petition filed by an ACC lawyer, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman decided to continue the trial proceedings in absence of the main accused as she did not appear before the court for the last several months due to her illness.
On September 27, the BNP chairperson filed the writ petition with the High Court challenging the lower court decision.
On October 14, the High Court bench of Justice Obaidul Hasan and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman cleared the way to continue the trial proceedings of the graft case against Khaleda in her absence as they rejected a writ petition filed by the BNP chief.
On October 18, a leave-to-appeal petition was filed with the Appellate Division against the High Court order.
The Appellate Division on Monday (today) cleared the way to deliver verdict in Zia Charitable Trust graft case in absence of Khaleda Zia.
On September 4, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry issued a gazette notification to hold the trial of Khaleda Zia in the case at the old Dhaka Central Jail after setting up a makeshift court there.
The following day, Khaleda was produced before the special court-5 when she stated that she was sick and she will neither be able to appear before the court repeatedly nor can stay there for a long time.
Khaleda has been serving five years' rigorous imprisonment at Old Central Jail, as she was convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8 last.
On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.