The High Court on Thursday concluded the final hearing on a writ petition of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the legality of the Niko graft case against her.
A HC bench comprising Justice Md Nuruzzaman Noni and Justice Zafar Ahmed completed hearing the arguments.
The court is likely to pass the verdict between 1 June and 13 June, Khaleda’s lawyer Barrister Raghib Rouf told UNB.
The same HC bench is expected to hear arguments on two other writ petitions challenging the legality of Gatco graft case against the BNP chief from 31 May.
Another writ petition for dismissing the Barapukuria coalmine graft case against Khaleda has been pending with the same bench.
On 7 April, chief Justice SK Sinha formed the bench for hearing the four petitions filed by Khaleda Zia.
On 9 December 2007, the Anti Corruption Commission filed the Niko graft case against Khaleda and four others.
It accused them of causing a loss of Tk 137.77 to the national exchequer by signing an oil-gas exploration agreement with Niko during the BNP regime.
On 2 September 2007, the ACC filed the Gatco graft case against Khaleda and 12 others for causing a loss of Tk 145.64 crore to the national exchequer by allegedly awarding the contract of container handling at the Chittagong port and at the inland container depot in Dhaka to Gatco.
On 27 September, the BNP chief filed a petition with the High Court challenging the legality of inclusion of the case under the emergency powers act.
She also sought a stay order on the trial proceedings.
Following her petition, a HC bench issued a rule and stayed the trial proceedings in 2008.
On 26 February 2008, the ACC filed the Barapukuria coalmine graft case against 16 people, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
According to the case statement, the government incurred a loss of Tk 1.59 billion on the Barapukuria coalmine deal for the then government irregularity in it.
Source: Prothom Alo
