HC starts hearing Khaleda’s plea against Niko graft case

The High Court today started a hearing on a seven-year-old writ petition challenging the legality of Niko corruption case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

During the proceedings, Ragib Rauf Chowdhury, a counsel for Khaleda, read out from the case statement before the HC bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Zafar Ahmed.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on December 9, 2007. It accused Khaleda and several others of abusing power and awarding gas exploration and extraction deal to the Canadian company, while she was prime minister.

Following a writ petition by Khaleda, the HC in July 2008 stayed the case and issued the rule upon the ACC and government to explain why the case proceedings against her should not be declared illegal.

Three other petitions were filed by Khaleda in 2008 challenging the legality of the proceedings of Barapukuria coalmine and Gatco corruption cases which are still pending with the HC bench.