Full HC verdict for resuming Khaleda's trial released

The High Court has released its full judgement directing the trial court to proceed with the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in accordance with law.

The court also vacated its 2008 stay order on the case proceedings.

Earlier on September 17, 2015, the HC bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Abdur Rob rejected a writ petition of the BNP chief in 2008 challenging the legality of trial proceedings in the case filed by the Anti Corruption Commission earlier that year.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan yesterday told The Daily Star that the HC had recently released the full verdict and therefore, the trial court could now resume the trial proceedings. Meanwhile, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, a lawyer for Khaleda, told reporters that his client would file an appeal with the Appellate Division.

The ACC accuses the former prime minister and 15 others of causing a loss of Tk 159 crores to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operation of Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company between June 2003 and June 2005, abusing power.