Moudud starts submissions during charge framing hearing

Moudud Ahmed, one of the 11 accused in the Niko graft case, yesterday started placing submissions whether the charges brought against him would be framed.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and nine others are also accused in the case.

Moudud continued his hearing on charge framing for over two hours where he read out the first information report (FIR) and charge sheet of the case. But he could not complete placing his submissions.

Later, Judge Mahmudul Hasan of Special Judge Court-9 set up in Government Madrasah-E-Alia in the city's Bakshibazar area, adjourned the hearing till March 11.

Khaleda Zia could not appear before the court due to her physical illness while Moudud, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain and five others, now on bail, were present in the court during yesterday's hearing.

Three of the accused are still at large.

Fourteen more cases, including Niko corruption case, filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and others were shifted to Bakshibazar makeshift court on January 8.

Trial of the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases against her has been going on in the same court building.

Meantime, another special judge court fixed February 8 for delivery of the judgement against Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The ACC filed the Niko case in December 2007 accusing that Khaleda and several others had abused powers to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was the prime minister between 2001 and 2006.

In May, 2008, the anti-graft watchdog pressed charges against Khaleda and 10 others.

Two months later, the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case following a petition by Khaleda.

On June 18 of 2015, the HC, following an ACC move, cleared the way for the trial court to resume the trial proceedings.