Staff Reporter :
The trial of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case will now continue in the trial court as the High Court has rejected her plea for quashing proceedings of the case.
The bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Md Abdur Rob passed the order on Thursday.
The court also vacated its earlier order that had stayed the trial proceedings of the case, clearing the way for the trial court to resume its proceedings of the case.
Earlier, the High Court also rejected some petitions of Khaleda Zia clearing the way for lower courts concerned to continue trial proceedings over GATCO, NIKO, Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
Md Khurshid Alam Khan, a lawyer of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), told reporters that there is no legal bar for the trial court to resume its proceedings in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case following Thursday’s HC verdict.
However, the BNP chief will remain on bail in the case, the ACC lawyer said.
The HC bench on August 30 concluded the hearing on the petition filed by Khaleda Zia. The bench on September 15 fixed Thursday for delivering the judgment.
On August 23, the High Court rejected two petitions filed by Khaleda Zia seeking the records and final report in the Barapukuria graft case.
Khaleda Zia filed the petitions on August 18 to know the legal procedure under which the ACC appointed the second investigation officer after the first officer had exempted her from the charges in June 2008.
The ACC filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station on February 26 in 2008, accusing Khaleda Zia, 10 of her former cabinet colleagues and some other persons of taking Tk 159 crore in kickbacks on the Barapukuria coal mine deal with the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) awarded to the highest bidder, instead of the lowest one. The ACC submitted charge sheet on October 5 of the same year.
Responding to a petition filed by Khaleda Zia, the HC on October 16 in 2008 stayed the case proceedings for three months and issued a rule asking the ACC to explain why the case should not be quashed. The Appellate Division later upheld the stay order as well, leaving the graft case in the cold.
Khaleda Zia, however, secured a permanent bail in the case on January 15 in 2012.
The final hearing on the High Court rule started after the ACC took initiative to revive the case earlier this year.
The trial of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case will now continue in the trial court as the High Court has rejected her plea for quashing proceedings of the case.
The bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Md Abdur Rob passed the order on Thursday.
The court also vacated its earlier order that had stayed the trial proceedings of the case, clearing the way for the trial court to resume its proceedings of the case.
Earlier, the High Court also rejected some petitions of Khaleda Zia clearing the way for lower courts concerned to continue trial proceedings over GATCO, NIKO, Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
Md Khurshid Alam Khan, a lawyer of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), told reporters that there is no legal bar for the trial court to resume its proceedings in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case following Thursday’s HC verdict.
However, the BNP chief will remain on bail in the case, the ACC lawyer said.
The HC bench on August 30 concluded the hearing on the petition filed by Khaleda Zia. The bench on September 15 fixed Thursday for delivering the judgment.
On August 23, the High Court rejected two petitions filed by Khaleda Zia seeking the records and final report in the Barapukuria graft case.
Khaleda Zia filed the petitions on August 18 to know the legal procedure under which the ACC appointed the second investigation officer after the first officer had exempted her from the charges in June 2008.
The ACC filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station on February 26 in 2008, accusing Khaleda Zia, 10 of her former cabinet colleagues and some other persons of taking Tk 159 crore in kickbacks on the Barapukuria coal mine deal with the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) awarded to the highest bidder, instead of the lowest one. The ACC submitted charge sheet on October 5 of the same year.
Responding to a petition filed by Khaleda Zia, the HC on October 16 in 2008 stayed the case proceedings for three months and issued a rule asking the ACC to explain why the case should not be quashed. The Appellate Division later upheld the stay order as well, leaving the graft case in the cold.
Khaleda Zia, however, secured a permanent bail in the case on January 15 in 2012.
The final hearing on the High Court rule started after the ACC took initiative to revive the case earlier this year.
