Indictment hearing in Barapukuria Coal Mine graft case against Khaleda Zia begins
Court
A Dhaka court today started a hearing on charges framed in the Barapukuria Coal Mine graft case against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and nine others.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kazal concluded his part of the hearing. Counsel for accused Moinul Hasan took part in the hearing for the acquittal of his client.
After the end of the hearing, Judge Md Akteruzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-2 adjourned the proceedings till 26 September.
The anti-graft body on 26 February 2008, filed the graft case against Khaleda Zia and 15 others with Shahbagh Police Station. ACC deputy director Md Abul Kashem Fokir on 5 October 2008, filed a charge-sheet in the case.
They were accused of causing a loss of around Tk159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operation of Barapukuria Coal Mine to a Chinese company through abuse of power.
Of the initial 16 accused, convicted war criminals Nizami and Mojaheed have been hanged and four others died of natural causes and their names are expected to be dropped from the case during framing of the charges.
Now, the ten accused are- Begum Khaleda Zia, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Dr Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam, Md Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, Moajjem Hossain, Nazrul Islam, Moinul Ahsan, and AKM Mosharraf Hossain.
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