HC order on Khaleda\\\'s plea over Niko graft case today

FE Team | Published: June 18, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The High Court (HC) will deliver the verdict on a petition by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia questioning the legality of the Niko graft case today (Thursday) and her petition over Gatco graft case any day, report agencies.
On May 28, the High Court (HC) bench of Justices Md Nuruzzaman and Zafar Ahmed concluded the hearing of the Niko graft case and kept its verdict pending.
The matter is listed on the bench agenda for today Thursday.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case on December 9, 2007 after the BNP chairperson was arrested by the military-backed caretaker government.
Charges were pressed against 11, including Khaleda, on May 5, 2008, for allegedly causing a loss of Tk 137 billion to the state by awarding the gas exploration job to a Canadian company Niko Resources.
Later, the HC had frozen the case following petitions by the former prime minister.
Meanwhile, the High Court (HC) concluded on Wednesday the hearing on two petitions filed by Khaleda Zia challenging the inclusion and the legality of Gatco graft case against her.
HC bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Abdur Rab concluded the hearing and is expected to deliver its verdict any day.
Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon and AJ Mohammad Ali stood for the petitioner during the hearing, keeping the issuance of its order pending for any day, Khaleda's lawyer Barrister Ragib Rouf Chowdhury told reporters.
Earlier on September 2, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Gatco graft case against Khaleda and 12 others for causing a loss of Tk 1.46 billion to the national exchequer by allegedly awarding the contract of container handling at the Chittagong port and the Dhaka's Inland Container Depot to Gatco.
Khaleda on September 27, 2007 filed a petition with the HC challenging the legality of the inclusion of the case under the Emergency Powers Act and seeking a stay order on the trial proceedings.
In 2008, an HC bench issued a rule and stayed the trial proceedings after hearing a petition of the BNP chief.
In 2008, the proceedings of the graft case was stayed again as Khaleda filed another petition challenging the legality of the case.