Dhaka, April 01 – A special judge court of Dhaka on Monday shifted the charge hearing in Niko corruption case to April 10.
BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia could not be placed before the court for hearing on charge framing in the Niko graft case on Monday as she was taken to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital for treatment.
On March 19, the Special Judge Court-9 of Dhaka, set up inside the erstwhile Dhaka central jail, set on Monday (April 1, 2019) the new date for charge framing hearing in the graft case.
On Monday at 11.30, judge of the court, Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, started the proceedings of the day in the graft case, when deferment of the hearing was sought on behalf of Khaleda Zia and BNP Standing Committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, who was also said to be sick at his village home.
Later, the court heard the submission of ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, who did not oppose the deferment and the court fixed April 10, as the new date. On December 9, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission, ACC had filed the Niko graft case with Tejgaon Model Police Station, accusing Khaleda Zia and 10 others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko.
The BNP Chief landed in the prison on February 8, last year after a Dhaka court had handed five-year prison term to her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Later, she was also convicted in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case. Khaleda Zia lost her appeal with the High Court Division as it increased her punishment in the Zia Orphanage graft case to 10 years in prison.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a medical board of BSMMU started providing necessary treatment to the BNP leader, one hour after she was admitted to the hospital. – Special Correspondent
