Niko graft: Hearing on Khaleda’s plea over changing court adjourned

The High Court (HC) today adjourned till June 10 the hearing on a writ petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the legality of the government notification that said the Niko corruption case trial against her will be held at a special court in Keraniganj Central Jail.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Md Khairul Alam adjourned the hearing as petitioners’ counsel did not produce sufficient documents before it, Anti-Corruption Commission’s lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

The ACC lawyer said there is no legal bar for the special court for holding trial of the Niko graft case as the HC did not pass any stay order on the government notification.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed and Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali appeared for Khaleda while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam argued for the state.

On May 13, the law ministry issued a gazette notification, saying trials of 17 cases, including the Niko graft case, against Khaleda would be held at a special court set up at building-2 of Keraniganj Central Jail for security reasons.

Khaleda Zia on May 26 filed the writ petition with the HC challenging the legality of the government notification.

Trial of the Niko graft case was being held at a special court set up inside the old Dhaka central jail while trials of the 16 other cases were taking place at a makeshift court at the Government Alia Madrasa in the capital’s Bakshibazar.

Khaleda landed in jail on February 8 last year after a Dhaka court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. On October 30, the HC enhanced the punishment of Khaleda to 10 years in this case. Another court on October 29 convicted Khaleda and sentenced her to seven years’ imprisonment in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.