Court fixes indictment hearing date in Khaleda’s Niko graft case

A Dhaka court on Tuesday set 24 November to hold a hearing on charge framing in Niko graft case against Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and others, reports BSS.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka ninth special judge court passed the order this morning at the newly built courtroom in front of Keraniganj Central Jail.

Today was fixed for holding hearing on charge framing in the case, but prime accused Begum Khaleda Zia failed to appear before the court on health ground and made her lawyers to plead for time.

Allowing the defence plea, the court then adjourned the hearing till 24 November.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five including Begum Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon police station in the capital on 9 December in 2007, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.

The ACC on 5 May 2008 submitted the charge-sheet against 11 people including Khaleda Zia. The ACC accused them of incurring a loss of over Tk 130 billion of state exchequer by that deal.