Court Correspondent :BNP Chief Begum Khaleda Zia will appear in a Dhaka court today (Monday) in the Niko graft case filed against her and four others in 2007. BNP Chairperson’s counsellor Sanaullah Miah said that the BNP leader would appear in the Special Judge’s Court-9 of Dhaka in the morning. The lawyer also said that his client would submit a petition seeking bail in the case.On June 18, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court rejected a petition of Khaleda Zia that challenged the legality of Niko graft case against her. The HC bench comprising Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Zafar Ahmed passed the order. The bench also asked Khaleda Zia to surrender to the subordinate court within two months after receiving the order of the apex court.Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer M Khurshed Alam Khan told the media people that with rejection of the petition by the HC, there would remain no legal bar to continue the trial of the graft case. The ACC on December 9 in 2007 filed the Niko graft case against Khaleda Zia and four others in connection with a loss of Tk 137.77 crore to the national exchequer caused by the signing of an oil-gas exploration agreement with the Canadian company Niko during the previous BNP regime.Khaleda filed the petition with the apex court challenging the legality of the case against her.Later on July 9 in 2008, the High Court had adjourned the proceedings of the case.
