Bangladesh's top court acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in her final corruption case, paving the way for her to run in elections that the interim government said would be held in December or the first half of 2026

Dhaka, Bangladesh—— Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a final corruption case, paving the way for her to run in elections that the interim government said would be held in December or the first half of 2026.

Zia, who is in poor health, traveled to London for treatment earlier this month after being cleared of another corruption case under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a massive uprising last August, ending her 15-year rule.

Zia and Hasina were rivals who had dominated Bangladeshi politics for decades, and Hasina's ouster created an opportunity for Zia to make a comeback.

A five-member appellate bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned a 10-year prison sentence handed down by the High Court in 2018 for allegedly misappropriating about $250,000 in donations originally set up by Zia when he was prime minister in 1991 Donations to the Orphanage Trust Fund.

The high court also sentenced Zia's son Tariq Rahman and four others to 10 years in prison for their involvement in the case. Rahman is the legal heir to Zia's party under Bangladesh's dynastic political system.

The Supreme Court's verdict on Wednesday also exonerated Rahman and others.

Zia's lawyers said the verdict meant she would be able to contest the next election. Under Bangladeshi law, anyone jailed for more than two years is barred from running for political office for the next five years.

Zia faces a total of 17 years in prison, including 10 years in this case and seven years in another corruption case. After Hasina was ousted from power in August, she was acquitted in a separate case.

Defense lawyers and Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party deny any wrongdoing involving the trust and say the charges are politically motivated.

Zia is the wife of late President Zia Rahman and Hasina is the daughter of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Hasina went into exile in neighboring India after being ousted from power in violence in July and August that left hundreds dead. She faced accusations of mass killings under an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. A special court has sought help from Interpol to arrest Hasina and asked India to extradite her.