HC orders 6-month stay on Barapukuria coal mine graft case proceedings
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and two former ministers were discharged from the graft case by a Dhaka court on 27 Nov
The High Court today (27 January) ordered a six-month stay on all proceedings in the Barapukuria coal mine corruption case after hearing a writ petition.
The bench of Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman and Justice Shawkat Ali Chowdhury also issued a rule asking why the case should not be dismissed.
Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol, Barrister ABM Altaf Hossain, and Advocate Khandakar Maruf Hossain represented petitioner Moazzem Hossain, the owner of Hosaf Meter, during the hearing.
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On the other hand, Advocate Asif Hasan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which filed the case in 2008 against former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 15 others.
Additional Attorney General Arshadur Rauf represented the state.
The latest HC order comes two months after Khaleda and former ministers Air Vice Marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain were discharged from the graft case by a Dhaka court on 27 November.
Judge Md Abu Taher of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 had passed the order, allowing separate discharge petitions filed for the three accused.
The court, however, framed charges against Moajjem Hossain, Nazrul Islam, Moinul Ahsan, and Md Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, initiating the trial officially.
The ACC filed the case on 26 February 2008 at Shahbagh Police Station. ACC Deputy Director Md Abul Kashem Fokir filed a charge sheet on 5 October 2008.
Of the total accused, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Matiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed were hanged after getting convicted in crimes against humanity cases, while Barrister Aminul Huq, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam and AKM Mosharraf Hossain died of natural causes and their names were dropped from the case.
They were accused of causing a loss of around Tk159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for the operation of the Barapukuria Coalmine to a Chinese company through abuse of power.
