Top court clears Khaleda's trial for Barapukuria coalmine graft

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will have to face trial for the Barapukuria coalmine graft charges as the Supreme Court has turned down her petition.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 28 May 2017, 05:05 AM
Updated : 28 May 2017, 05:05 AM

Khaleda and 15 others are accused of causing a loss of about Tk 1.59 billion to the state exchequer by signing a deal with the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) to operate, manage, and maintain the coalmine in Dinajpur.

On Sunday, the chief justice-led appeals bench rejected the former prime minister's plea to appeal against the High Court verdict.

In September 2015, the High Court scrapped Khaleda’s petition seeking to quash the charges and lifted a freeze on the case’s proceedings.

The Appellate Division's order means that there are no more legal hurdles for the case to be tried at the court of Dhaka's second special judge, which has scheduled the indictment hearing for Jul 10.

The Anti Corruption Commission filed the case in 2008 with a police station in Dhaka and the chargesheet was submitted in October the same year.

After 11 days, the High Court stayed proceedings for three months and issued a ruling asking why the case should not be scrapped.

It was upheld by the top court, bringing the case to a standstill. Khaleda secured a permanent bail on Jan 15, 2012.

The final hearing on the High Court rule started earlier last year after the ACC took the initiative to revive the case.

Khaleda Zia’s petition to dismiss the case was scrapped by the High Court on Sept 17, 2015.

Her counsels filed a leave to appeal plea against the decision in June next year after the full verdict was published.