Niko graft case: Indictment hearing of Khaleda Zia on Nov 4

A Dhaka court on Tuesday fixed November 4 for the hearing on charge framing in the Niko graft case against BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia and ten others.

Judge (in-charge) Mohammed Nazrul Islam of Dhaka Special Judge Court 9 deferred the hearing as the judge concerned is on leave.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case in 2007 with Tejgaon police station accusing Khaleda and ten others of abusing their offices to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko between 2001 and 2006, when the BNP-led 4-part Alliance was in power.

In May 2008, the anti-graft watchdog pressed charges against 11 people, including the former prime minister for the causing the state to lose hundreds of crore by awarding gas exploration contract to Niko. 

Khaleda is already serving prison sentences of 10 years and seven years in two corruption cases.

On March 25 last year, following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, the government suspended her sentence in an executive order and released Khaleda for six months on condition of receiving treatment at home and not travelling abroad. Her prison-term suspension has been since extended by six months a few times.