Charge framed against Khaleda Zia in Niko graft case

A Dhaka court has framed charges against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Niko corruption case.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman passed the order on Sunday at a temporary courtroom of the Dhaka Special Judge's Court-9 at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

The court also set May 23 as the date for taking evidence in the case.

On December 9, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against five people, including Begum Khaleda Zia, with the Tejgaon police station for abuse of authority in a contract for gas exploration and extraction with the Canadian company Niko.

The ACC on May 5 in 2008 submitted the charge-sheet against 11 persons, including Khaleda Zia.

The ACC claimed that deal caused them to lose more than Tk 13,000 crore from the state coffers.