Niko graft case hearing against Khaleda Zia 7 others May 14

Khaleda Zia in a hospital bed.

A Dhaka court today adjourned the hearing of Niko graft case against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and seven others till May 14.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of the Special Judge’s Court-9 passed the order as two more witnesses testify before the court today.

After witnesses Abdul Baki and AKM Anwar Islam completed testifying, the defense counsels started cross-examining them. At the end of Thurday’s proceedings, defense concluded cross examination of Anwar, but Baki’s quizzing is yet to be completed.

The court on March 19, 2023, framed charges against eight accused. Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now on bail, pleaded not guilty through her lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder on that day and demanded justice.

The other accused in the case are- Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Eusuf Hossain, Mir Moinul Haque, Gias Uddin Al Mamun, Selim Bhuiyan and Kashem Sharif.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five including Begum Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon Model Police Station on December 9, 2007, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.

The ACC on May 5, 2008, submitted the charge-sheet against 11 people including Khaleda Zia. The ACC accused them of causing the incurring a loss of more than Taka 13 thousand crore to state exchequer by signing that deal.

As the three accused-Barrister Moudud Ahmed, AKM Mosharraf Hossain and Md Shafiur Rahman died of natural causes, they were discharged from the case, leaving the eight other accused to face justice. - Special Correspondent