BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday said the opposition can exist outside parliament if the party works for the benefit of the people.
Khaleda Zia made the remarks in response to a lawyer’s comments during a hearing in the Niko corruption case at the makeshift court set up inside Old Dhaka Central Jail.
During the hearing, BNP Standing Committee Member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, who is also accused in the case, told the court: “We are in trouble as we are in the opposition.”
Responding to Moudud’s comments, another lawyer Md. Borhanuddin asked: “You (BNP) are not even in the parliament as opposition at present.” Then, Moudud told the court “My lord, we are not anywhere now.”
Replying to the lawyers’ remarks, Khaleda said: “The opposition is not just in parliament, it may also exist outside parliament. Those who take to the streets to fight to realize the demands and rights of the people: they are the opposition. But now we see the opposition is also with the government.”
When ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajol asked if BNP is a party which is not in parliament or outside of it, then, Khaleda said: “BNP is a popular party.”
Khaleda who is serving jail after being convicted in two graft cases, was taken to the Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 in a wheel-chair at around 12:20pm.
After the hearing on a discharge petition, Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of the Court adjourned the hearing till January 21 in the case.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was also present at that time and he talked with Khaleda in the courtroom.
The others accused are: AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former state minister for energy, Kamal Uddin Siddique, former principal secretary to prime minister, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former acting energy secretary, CM Yousuf Hossain, former senior assistant secretary of Energy and Mineral Resources Department, Meer Moynul Haque, former senior general manager of Bapex, Shafiur Rahman, former secretary of Bapex, Giasuddin Al Mamun, managing director of One Group, Selim Bhuiyan, chairman and managing director of International Travel Corporation, and Kashem Sharif, vice-president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd.
On December 9, 2007, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case with Tejgaon police station bringing charges against Khaleda and several others for corruption and abusing power in awarding a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko, when she was Prime Minister between 2001 and 2006.
On May 5, 2008, the anti-graft watchdog submitted a charge sheet against Khaleda and 10 others in the graft case.
Two months later, the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case following a petition filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
On June 18, 2016, the High Court cleared the way for the trial proceedings to resume against Khaleda and others in the case.