Dhaka, Feb 25 – The High Court Division on Monday ordered the subordinate court to dispose of the Barapukuria coalmine graft case against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and 10 others within six months.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam passed the order after rejecting a petition filed by Barrister Aminul Haq, an accused in the case, seeking cancellation of the case, filed.
Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) while deputy attorney general Amin Uddin represented the state and Barrister Anik R Haq stood for the accused.
Earlier, on January 31, Special Judges Court-2 Judge ASM Ruhul Imran deferred the hearing on charge-framing against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and 10 others to February 26 in the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case.
On February 26, 2008, the ACC filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station accusing 16 people, including Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet colleagues, of taking Tk 159 crore 71 lakh 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 SaifurRahman, BNP leader Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and former Petrobangla chairman AR Osmani have 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 Zia, the High Court on October 16,
The Appellate Division later upheld the stay order as well, leaving the corruption case in the cold.
Later on September 17, 2015, the High Court lifted the stay order resuming the trial proceedings of the case. – Special Correspondent
