A Dhaka court on Tuesday fixed May 24 to hold a hearing on charge framing in Niko graft case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and others.

Today was fixed for holding the indictment hearing, but Khaleda Zia failed to appear before the court because of her "illness". 

Accepting a time plea filed by the defence Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka ninth Special Judge Court adjourned the hearing till May 24.

The other accused in the case are AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former state minister for energy, Kamal Uddin Siddique, former principal secretary to prime minister, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former acting energy secretary, CM Yousuf Hossain, former senior assistant secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Department, Meer Moynul Haque, former senior general manager of Bapex, Shafiur Rahman, former secretary of Bapex, Giasuddin Al Mamun, managing director of One Group, Selim Bhuiyan, chairman and managing director of International Travel Corporation, and Kashem Sharif, vice president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five, including Begum Khaleda Zia, with Tejgaon police station on December 9 in 2007, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.

The ACC on May 5 in 2008, submitted the charge-sheet against 11, including Khaleda Zia.

The ACC accused them of incurring a loss of more than Taka 13 thousand crore of state exchequer by that deal.

BDST: 1500 HRS, APR 12, 2022
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