Khaleda Zia’s appeal verdict in Barapukuria coalmine case Sept 17

The Bangladesh’s High Court (HC) on Tuesday fixed September 17 for delivering verdict on a petition of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia challenging legality of the trial proceedings against her in Barapukuria coalmine graft case.

A division bench of the HC comprising Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Abdur Rob set the date as the petition was kept waiting for the verdict any day.

Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Barrister Ragib Chowdhury confirmed it.

The petition was kept waiting for verdict on August 30 after hearing both the prosecution and defence, said Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) counsel Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan.

ACC filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station on February 26 in 2008 accusing 16 persons including former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and 10 ministers of the BNP-Jamaat alliance four-party government.

They were accused of causing a loss of Tk 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract of operating Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company, abusing power.

ACC submitted a charge sheet before a Dhaka court in the case accusing the 16 people on October 5, 2008.

The HC on October 16, 2008 stayed the proceeding of the Barapukuria coalmine case upon a petition and issued a rule upon the concerned authority asking why the case would not be cancelled. (Source: BSS, September 15, 2015)

Dhaka court adjourns hearing on Khaleda’s graft cases till June 18

A court in Dhaka on Monday adjourned till June 18 the hearing of Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases against BNP Chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia and others.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar the Special Judges’ Court-3 temporarily set up at Dhaka Alia Madrasa premises passed the order.

Khaleda Zia appeared before the court around 10-55 in the morning amid stringent security measures and left with the completion of the court proceedings around 12noon.

The court also rejected the defence petition seeking cancellation of the statements given by the plaintiff and the first prosecution witness after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence.

However, the court accepted the time petition filed by defence counsel Advocate Khandoker Mahbub Hossain on the plea of taking preparation for hearing.

Stringent security measures were taken in and around the court with the deployment of additional law enforcers including Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Detective Branch (DB)of police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to maintain law and order.

Earlier on April 5, the court gave Khaleda Zia bail in the two graft cases on condition of her appearance positively before the court on every date.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3 in 2008 with Ramna Police Station while the Zia Charitable Trust graft case was lodged with Tejgaon Police Station on August 8, 2011, on charges of misappropriating money in the name of the trusts.

The commission filed a charge sheet in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on August 5 in 2009 against Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others on charges of embezzling Tk 2.1 crore by forming the Trust which exists only on paper.

In accordance with the charge sheet of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case submitted on January 16, 2012, Khaleda Zia and three others have allegedly misappropriated Tk 6.19 crore after forming Zia Charitable Trust.

The Special Judges Court-3 framed charges against Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and others in the two graft cases on March 19 last.

(Source: BSS)