A Dhaka court on Wednesday set March 20 for holding a hearing on the charge holding the BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and 10 others complicit in the Barapukuria coal mine graft case.
The date was announced by Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-2, as the defence lawyers pleaded for time due to Begum Zia's poor health.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on February 26, 2008, filed the graft case against Khaleda Zia and 15 others at Shahbagh Police Station. ACC Deputy Director Md Abul Kashem Fokir on October 5, 2008, filed a charge sheet in the case.
They were accused of causing a loss of around Tk 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for the operation of Barapukuria Coalmine to a Chinese company through abuse of power.
