Court Correspondent :
A Dhaka court yesterday adjourned till September 25, the hearing on charge framing in the Barapukuria coal mine graft case against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and six others.
With Monday, the defense so far sought adjournment of the charge framing hearing for 40 dates on various grounds, according to the prosecution. Judge ASM Ruhul Imran of the Special Judge’s Court-2 of Dhaka passed the order after a petition was filed with the court on behalf of BNP leader Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, seeking an adjournment of the hearing, defense lawyer Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder told the media.
Khaleda Zia, who is now at a city hospital and out of prison following an executive order of the government. She was recently admitted to Evercare Hospital with heart problems. Her personal appearance at the court was exempted earlier.
In BNP leader Khaleda Zia’s absence, advocate Masud Talikder represented the 76-year-old former Prime Minister on Monday.
During yesterday’s hearing, four accused including BNP leader Dr Khondaker Mosharraf were present in the court while BNP leader Altaf Hossain Chowdhury was absent after submitting a petition.
Another accused Md Sirajul Islam has been absconding since the case was filed against him.
On February 26, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station, accusing 16 people including Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet colleagues. They were accused of causing a loss of Tk 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operation of Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company through abuse of power.
Of the 16, six already died and their names are supposed to be dropped from the case while framing charges.
The dead accused were former ministers M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam, Barrister Aminul Haque and former State Minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain.
