Charge framing hearing against Khaleda Nov 27

A Dhaka court has fixed November 27 for the next hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and seven others in the Barapukuria coal mine corruption case.

Judge Abu Taher of the Special Judge Court-2 in Dhaka passed the order on Wednesday.

November 20 was fixed for the hearing on the charge framing, but it could not be completed as the lawyers of Khaleda Zia and former minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain sought discharge from the charges.

On February 26, 2008, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Md Samsul Alam filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station accusing 16 people, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet member, for causing a loss of Tk159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for the operation of Barapukuria coal mine to a Chinese company abusing power.

Earlier on October 5, 2008, the ACC pressed charges against Khaleda and 15 others in the Barapukuria coal-mine graft case.

The case proceedings were stayed for nine years following a High Court order, which was lifted on May 28, 2017. Since then, the case has been awaiting a charge framing hearing.

Seven people, including former finance minister Saifur Rahman, were dropped from the charge sheet after their death.

The seven other accused in the case are — former ministers Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, former energy secretary Nazrul Islam, ex-Petrobangla chairman SR Osmani, former director Moinul Ahsan, former managing director of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Md Sirajul Islam, and Hossaf Group chairman Moazzem Hossain.