Niko graft case: Order on Khaleda plea tomorrow

The High Court will deliver its order tomorrow whether the proceedings of the Niko graft trial of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will continue.

The HC stayed the proceedings on July 9, 2008 following a petition by Khaleda.

In a case filed on December 9, 2007 during the army-backed caretaker government rule, the Anti-Corruption Commission accused Khaleda and several others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to the Canadian company, Niko.

Former law minister Moudud Ahmed and former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Vice-President (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif were also sued in the case filed with Tejgaon Police Station.

On May 5, 2008, the ACC submitted the charge sheet of the graft case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka, against Khaleda Zia and 10 others.

On July 9 of the same year, the High Court stayed the case and issued the rule upon the ACC and the government to explain why the initiation and proceedings of the case against her should not be declared illegal.

The ACC moved to revive the Niko corruption cases this year. 

An HC bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Jafar Ahmed today fixed tomorrow for the delivery of the verdict after holding hearing on a petition filed by Khaleda on April 2 this year challenging the legality of the case proceedings.

Four days after the petition was submitted, a new High Court bench has been assigned to dispose of it.