Appeal to scrap trial court order rejected

The High Court has cleared the lower court concerned to continue trial proceedings against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Niko graft case.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam passed the order on Wednesday.

Khaleda Zia filed a petition on May 17, challenging a lower court order that framed charges against her and seven others in the corruption case on March 19.

In the revision petition, Khaleda’s lawyers urged the HC to scrap the trial court order, saying the charges were framed illegally.

On December 9, 2007, the ACC filed the case, accusing Khaleda and several others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko during her premiership between 2001 and 2006.

During Wednesday’s hearing, senior lawyers Zainul Abedin and AJ Mohammad Ali and lawyer Kayser Kamal stood for Khaleda Zia while Additional Attorney General Mohammad Mehedi Hassan Chowdhury and Senior lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan represented the state and ACC respectively.

/MHK/