A Dhaka court has set May 16 as the date for a hearing of the Barapukuria Coal Mine graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Although Thursday was initially set as the date for the hearing, Dhaka Special Judge Court 2 deferred it because the prime accused was undergoing treatment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and jail authorities could not produce her before the court, reports BSS.
Previously, on February 26, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a graft case against Khaleda Zia—and 15 others—at the Shahbagh Police Station.
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They were accused of causing a loss of Tk159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operating the Barapukuria Coal Mine—to a Chinese company—through abuse of power.
Of the 16 accused, six have died, and their names are expected to be dropped from the case when the charges are framed.
The High Court, on February 25, 2019, ordered the lower court concerned to dispose of the case within six months.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam passed the order, scrapping a plea—filed by one of the accused and BNP leader Barrister Aminul Haque—to quash the charges.
