Top Asian News 1:03 a.m. GMT

Bangladesh court acquits Zia’s son and 48 others convicted in 2004 deadly grenade attack

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s High Court on Sunday acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, and 48 others, overturning their verdicts in a deadly 2004 grenade attack on a political rally. The ruling comes at a critical time as the South Asian country suffers political tension after longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country to India in August following a mass uprising that left hundreds dead. Rahman serves as the acting chairperson of Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party while in self-exile in London, and he could become Bangladesh's next leader if his party is voted into power.