Niko Graft Case against Khaleda : Hearing on charge framing adjourned till Feb 1

A Dhaka court yesterday adjourned the hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and nine others in Niko graft case till February 1.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of the Special Judge's Court-9 of Dhaka passed the order after a petition was filed with the court on behalf of Khaleda Zia, seeking an adjournment of the hearing, advocate Zia Uddin, one of her lawyers, told The Daily Star.

In the petition, the lawyer said Khaleda Zia is sick and did not come out of her residence due to the pandemic. So, the hearing should be adjourned.

The death certificate of former state minister for energy and BNP leader AKM Mosharraf Hossain, also an accused in the case, who died of coronavirus on October 17 last year, was submitted before the court.

Three accused, including Giausuddin Al Mamun, now in jail, were present at the makeshift court of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj yesterday.

ACC filed the case in December 2007, accusing Khaleda and several others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was prime minister between 2001 and 2006.

The anti-graft body pressed charges in May 2008. Two months later, the High Court stayed the case's proceedings. On June 18 of 2015, the HC cleared way for the trial proceedings to resume and ordered the BNP chief to surrender before the trial court within two months after a copy of the HC verdict reached it.

Former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Kashem Sharif, vice-president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd, are also accused in the case.