Court Correspondent :
The Special Judge Court-2 of Dhaka yesterday fixed May 16 as the next date of hearing in the Baropukuria Coal Mine graft case against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and others.
Although Thursday was initially set as the date of hearing, Judge ASM Ruhul Imran of the court deferred it because the prime accused Khaleda Zia was undergoing treatment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital and the jail authorities could not produce her in the court. Meanwhile, Khaleda Zia’s lawyers appealed to the court seeking time as their client was not produced in the court.
On February 26, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the graft case with Shahbagh Police Station of the city accusing 16 persons, including Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet colleagues, of taking 159 crore as kickbacks for awarding the Baropukuria coalmine deal to the highest bidder.
