A Dhaka court has deferred hearing on charge-framing against Bangladeshi former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 10 others in Barapukuria coalmine corruption case to February 22.
Special Judge's Court-2 Judge ASM Ruhul Imran set the new date on Tuesday, allowing a time plea from the defendant.
On February 26, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Shahbagh police station accusing 16 people, including opposition leader Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet colleagues, of taking 159 crore 71 lakh taka in kickbacks on the Barapukuria coalmine deal which was awarded to the highest bidder instead of the lowest one.
However, among the 16 accused, Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed were executed for their crimes against humanity while former Finance Minister Saifur Rahman, BNP leader Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and former Petrobangla chairman AR Osmani already died.
On October 5, 2008, the ACC pressed charges against the accused in the Barapukuria graft case.
Responding to a petition filed by Khaleda, the HC on October 16, 2008, stayed the case proceedings and issued a rule asking the ACC to explain why the case should not be quashed.
The Appellate Division later upheld the stay order as well, leaving the corruption case in the cold. Later on September 17, 2015, the HC lifted the stay order resuming the trial proceedings of the case.
nh/teb
