Khaleda absent in court, charge framing hearing deferred
A Dhaka court yesterday could not start hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and seven others in connection with Barapukuria Coalmine graft case as Khaleda was not produced before it due to her illness.
Judge ASM Ruhul Imran of the Special Judge Court-2 of Dhaka set September 5 for next hearing after the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) authorities informed it about Khaleda’s illness, Advocate Ziauddin Zia confirmed. Khaleda is now under treatment at BSMMU.
BNP leader Dr Khondaker Mosharraf Hossain and six others, now on bail, were present at the court.
On February 2008, ACC filed the case against 16 people including Khaleda and 10 of her former cabinet colleagues of taking Tk 159 crore in kickbacks on the Barapukuria coalmine deal awarded to the highest bidder.
ACC pressed charges against them on October 5, 2008.
Meanwhile, another Dhaka court once again asked detectives to submit the probe report by August 26 in connection with a case filed against Khaleda and 13 others over hurling crude bombs on a procession in February 2015.
Metropolitan Magistrate Debdas Chandra Adhikary passed the order after Inspector Fazlul Haque of the detective branch of police, also the case’s investigating officer, failed to submit it yesterday.
With this, the IO has taken 50 dates for submission of the probe report.
The case was filed by one Ismail Hossain Bachchu on February 16, 2015 with Gulshan Police Station, accusing Khaleda as the mastermind of the attack.
At least eight persons were injured in that crude bomb attack on a procession led by then shipping minister Shajahan Khan in Dhaka.
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