DHAKA: A court here on Tuesday fixed April 1 to hold next hearing on the charge framing in Niko Graft case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and 10 others. 

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 fixed the date after hearing time petition filed by Khaleda’s lawyers showing the cause of shortage of necessary documents.

Earlier, Khaleda Zia came to the court being seated in a wheelchair around 12:40pm. 

On March 3, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia told a local court that jail authorities did not produce her for trial in Niko graft case on February 20.

Speaking from a wheelchair during today’s hearing on charge framing in the case, she told the judge that she was “ready to appear” that day.

“I was ready but jail authority did not produce me before the court. Rather it was said that I did not wake up from sleep. It was not right,” she said.

Earlier on February 20, a court here fixed March 19 to hold hearing on the charge framing in the Niko Graft case. 

On that day, during the charge hearing, jail authorities said Khaleda could not be produced as she “did not wake up from sleep”.

Apart from BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, former Law Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed, former secretaries Md Shafiur Rahman, Khondker Shahidul Islam, CM Yusuf Hossain and former President of Dhaka Club Selim Bhuiyan are among the prime accused of the case.

The other three accused—Former secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former General Manager of Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Company Limited (BAPEX) Meer Moinul Haque and Niko South Asia Affairs Vice President Kashem Sharif -are absconding.

In December 2007, the ACC filed the case accusing the 11 people over misusing power to grant a gas deal to Canadian company Niko when Khaleda was the prime minister of Bangladesh between 2001 and 2006.

Khaleda Zia has been serving her 10 years extended jail sentence in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case since February 8, 2018.

BDST: 1540 HRS, MAR 19, 2019
RS/SMS