BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday filed a leave-to-appeal petition with the Supreme Court against a High Court order that rejected an appeal filed by the former prime minister to scrap the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case proceedings. Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon filed the petition on behalf of the BNP chief. Talking to reporters, Khokon said in the petition they sought cancellation of the case as well as a stay on the case proceedings. Dhaka, UNB News Agency Reported.
On September 17, 2015, the High Court quashed a petition filed by Khaleda Zia seeking scrapping the case, and vacated a stay order on the case proceedings. On June 12 last, a Dhaka court ordered nine accused, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, to appear before it on July 24 in connection with the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case.
On February 26, 2008, the Anti Corruption Commission filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station accusing 16 people, including Khaleda and 10 of her former cabinet colleagues, of taking Tk 159 crore in kickbacks on the Barapukuria coalmine deal 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 former Petrobangla chairman AR Osmani have already died.
