HC starts hearing Khaleda\\\'s pleas on 3 graft cases

High Court (HC) has started hearing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's pleas on three corruption cases, reports bdnews24.com.

The bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Zafar Ahmed started hearing the four pleas over Barapukuria coal mine, Gatco and Niko graft cases on Sunday.

The bench at the outset rejected a plea by the BNP chief's lawyers to stay the hearing in view of the upcoming bar council elections.

The court set Wednesday for the next hearing. Hearing on the pleas will be held on Thursday also.

Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission, the plaintiff, while Badruddoza Badal for the defence.

After hearing Khaleda's petition for quashing the Barapukuria coal mine case on March 3 and 5, the bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan had set March 10 for the order but then deferred it to April 5.

Meanwhile, on April 2, Khaleda's lawyers sought a transfer of the hearing to another bench through a petition to Chief Justice SK Sinha.

The chief justice later sent the petition to the bench of Justices Nuruzzaman and Ahmed.

The graft cases were filed against the former prime minister in 2008 after the army-backed caretaker government assumed power.

The ACC recently decided to revive the cases suspended by court orders.

Khaleda, along with 10 ministers of her erstwhile cabinet and six others, is accused of graft in awarding a contract of the Barapukuria coal mine.

The Gatco and Niko graft cases were also filed when the caretaker government was in power.