Hearing on charge framing against Khaleda on May 13

A Dhaka court fixed on Thursday May 13 for holding hearing on framing charges against BNP chief Khaleda Zia in the Niko graft case, reports BSS.

Mahmudul Kabir, judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9, a makeshift court at Bakshibazar in the city, set the date following a petition seeking to defer the hearing which was scheduled to be held on Thursday.

Khaleda'a lawyer Sanaullah Miah filed the time petition on behalf of Khaleda Zia who is now in the former Dhaka Central Jail being convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Lawyers of other accused in the case also filed time petitions.

On December 9, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the graft case with Tejgaon police station accusing Khaleda and 10 others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko during her tenure as prime minister.

The ACC submitted the charge-sheet against the accused in May 2008.