Khaleda`s coal mine graft case: Indictment hearing Mar 22

A Dhaka court today (Monday) adjourned till March 22 the indictment hearing in Barapukuria coal mine graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and others.

Judge Nazrul Islam of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-2 passed the order following a time petition filed by Khaleda’s Counsel Masud Ahamed Talukder in the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on February 26, 2008, filed the graft case against Khaleda Zia and 15 others with Shahbagh Police Station.

They were accused of incurring a loss of Taka 159 crore of state exchequer by awarding a contract for the operation of Barapukuria Coalmine to a Chinese company through abuse of power.

The anti-graft body on October 5, 2008, filed the charge-sheet against the accused.

The 16 accused are- Begum Khaleda Zia, M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Barrister Aminul Huq, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, Nazrul Islam, SR Osmani, Moinul Ahsan, Md Sirajul Islam, and Moazzem Hossain.

Of the 16, convicted war criminals Nizami and Mojaheed have been hanged and four others have died of natural causes and their names are expected to be dropped from the case during the framing of the charges.