Coalmine case: Production warrant against Khaleda

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Court Correspondent :
The Special Judge’s Court-2 of Dhaka on Tuesday issued a production warrant (PW) against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to appear in the court on March 13 in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case.
Judge ASM Ruhul Imran issued the order after hearing an appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday.
Of the accused, Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed were executed
for commission of war crimes, while former Finance Minister Saifur Rahman, BNP leader Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and former Petrobangla Chairman AR Osmani were dead. The ACC pressed charges against the accused on October 5, 2008.
Responding to a petition filed by Khaleda Zia, the High Court on October 16 of that year stayed the case proceedings and issued a rule asking the ACC to explain as to why the case should not be quashed.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court later upheld the stay order as well, as leaving the corruption in the cold.
Later on September 17, 2015, the High Court lifted the stay order resuming the trial proceedings of the case.
On February 26, 2008, ACC filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station accusing 16 persons, including Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet colleagues. They were accused of taking Tk 159.71 crore as kickbacks and awarded the work order to the highest bidder instead of giving to the lowest bidder.
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