HC order on Khaleda’s plea to quash Niko graft case on Wednesday
A High Court division bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam on Monday passed the order after ending the hearing in this regard.
The High Court (HC) fixed 30 August (Wednesday) for delivering its order on a plea filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the indictment order against her and pleading to quash the Niko graft case.
A High Court division bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam on Monday passed the order after ending the hearing in this regard.
Barrister Kaiser Kamal took part in the hearing for the BNP chief, while Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan argued for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Additional Attorney General Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury moved for the state.
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Counsel of Khaleda Zia filed the appeal in the High Court on 17 May, challenging the indictment order and pleading to quash it.
Earlier on 19 March this year, Judge of Dhaka Special Court-9 Sheikh Hafizur Rahman framed charges against Khaleda and seven others in the graft case.
The other accused are- Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, principal secretary to the then Prime Minister, Khondkar Shahidul Islam, former Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, CM Eusuf Hossain, former senior assistant secretary, Mir Moinul Hossain, former director of Bapex, MA Shafiqur Rahman, former secretary of Bapex, MAAH Selim, former Bagerhat MP, Kashem Sharif, vice president of Niko South Asia and businessman Gias Uddin Al Mamun.
The anti-graft body filed the case against five, including Khaleda Zia, with Tejgaon police station on 9 December 2007, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.
The ACC submitted the charge sheet against 11 people, including Khaleda Zia on 5 May 2008. The ACC accused them of incurring a loss of more than Tk130 billion (13,000 crore) of state exchequer by signing that deal.
