Khaleda, others asked to appear before court

Staff Correspondent: A Dhaka court has asked all accused including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on March 25 in a case filed in connection with Barapukuria coalmine corruption case.

Judge Hosne Ara Begum of the Special Judge's Court-2 passed the order on Sunday.

Earlier, the same court fixed today (Sunday) for hearing on the framing of charges in the case but it deferred the date for hearing following a petition seeking time. The petition was filed by a lawyer for Khaleda.

The High Court on May 25, 2016 released its full judgement, directing the trial court to proceed with the corruption case. On that day, the court also vacated its 2008 stay order on the case proceedings.

The HC on September 17 in the same year rejected a writ petition filed by the BNP chief in 2008 challenging the legality of trial proceedings in the case filed by Anti Corruption Commission earlier that year.

The ACC accuses the former premier and 15 others of causing a loss of Tk 159 crores to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operation of Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company between June 2003 and June 2005, abusing power.

On October 5 of 2008, the ACC pressed charges against Khaleda and 14 others in the case.

The accused former ministers of BNP are M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, M Shamsul Islam, MK Anwar, Barrister Aminul Haque, Altaf Hossain Choudhury, and AKM Mosharraf Hossain.

Former Jamaat ministers Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and Motiur Rahman Nizami, who were also accused in the case, have been executed for their war crimes.

The other five accused are former acting secretary to the energy and mineral resources ministry Nazrul Islam, former Petrobangla chairman SR Osmani, former Petrobangla director Mainul Ahsan, former managing director of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) Sirajul Islam, and Hosaf Group Chairman Moazzem Hossain.

Of the accused, Mannan, Saifur died earlier and Nizami and Mojahid were earlier executed and Sirajul is on the run.


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 18, 2018/Mamun Khan/AI