Indictment hearing in Khaleda's coal mine graft case Sept 25

In the Barapukuria Coal Mine fraud case, a court here on Monday slated September 25 for the filing of charges against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and others.

Acting Judge Syeda Hosne Ara of Dhaka Special Judge Court-2 set the date after the defense counsel appealed for more time due to Begum Zia's ill health.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a graft charge against Khaleda Zia and 15 others with Shahbagh Police Station on February 26, 2008. On October 5, 2008, ACC deputy director Md Abul Kashem Fokir filed a charge-sheet in the case.

They were accused of causing a loss of around Taka 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operation of Barapukuria Coalmine to a Chinese company through abuse of power.

The 16 accused are - Begum Khaleda Zia, M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Barrister Aminul Huq, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, Nazrul Islam, SR Osmani, Moinul Ahsan, Md Sirajul Islam and Moazzem Hossain.

Of the 16, convicted war criminals Nizami and Mojaheed have been hanged and four others have died of natural causes and their names are expected to be dropped from the case during framing of the charges.