International
Hearing on charge framing in Niko graft case on March 19.

Hearing on charge framing in Niko graft case on March 19

International

BD Online Desk: A Dhaka court on Sunday fixed March 19 to hold a hearing on the charge framing in Niko Graft case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and 10 others.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 fixed the date after hearing from both counsel and accused.

Earlier, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was produced before the court in a wheelchair.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was present there.

When the court enquired about the health of Khaleda, she replied that she is not well and the jail authorities would not allow her personal physicians.

“I was ready to go to court but they did not produce me before the court but they said I did not appear the court willingly. It’s not right. The state counsel said I was asleep,” said Khaleda.

Khaleda's lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder filed a petition before the court seeking treatment of Khaleda.

On February 20, a court deferred the charge framing hearing in Niko Graft case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and 10 others as she could not be produced before the court as she was reportedly asleep.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 fixed March 3 for the next hearing.

On February 4, the court set February 20 (today) for the hearing on charge-framing against 11 people, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, in the case.

On December 9, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case accusing Khaleda and others of causing a loss of Tk 137.77 billion to the Sate by signing an oil-gas exploration deal with Canadian company Niko when the BNP was in office.

Police submitted a charge-sheet against the accused on May 5, 2008.

The others accused in the case are BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Yusuf Hossain, former Bapex general manager Mir Mainul Haq, its former secretary Shafiur Rahman, Giasuddin Al Mamun, former MP MAH Selim and former vice-president of South-Asia affairs Niko Kashem Sharif.