Khaleda declines to comment on election

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday declined to comment on the latest general election.

"No comment," is what she said when reporters asked her about the December 30 polls after a Niko corruption case hearing.

The Awami League-led Grand Alliance won 96% of the seats in the 300-member parliament. Khaleda Zia's BNP joined hands with Jatiya Oikya Front to contest the election but they won in only seven constituencies.

Khaleda appeared before a special judge court around 12:10pm. When newly-appointed Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 arrived, the BNP chief complained about inadequate seating arrangements.

The former prime minister even threatened to avoid court appearances "if this situation prevails."

The judge eventually ordered court authorities to provide adequate seating arrangements for everyone.

The court also fixed January 13 for the next hearing.

The anti-graft watchdog filed a case on December 9, 2007, accusing Khaleda and four others of causing the state a loss of Tk137.77 billion by signing an oil-gas exploration deal with Canadian company Niko when the BNP was in office.

Police submitted a charge sheet against the accused on May 5, 2008.