Opposition can be outside parliament for people: Khaleda [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Opposition can be outside parliament for people: Khaleda

Local January 14, 2019

Jailed Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday said that said that an opposition could remain outside of parliament for the people.
The former prime minister, who appeared in a makeshift courtroom inside the old Dhaka Central Jail in a wheelchair, came up with the remark in the midst of a hearing in Niko graft case before the Dhaka Special Judge’s Court 9.
In the hearing, co-accused former law minister Moudud Ahmed argued that the deal signed with Canadian oil company Niko Resources Limited allowing the latter to explore gas at Chhatak was finalised during the 1996-2001rule of Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina, but they were prosecuted only because they were in opposition.
‘We are in danger as we are in opposition’, he said.
At this point, one of the defence counsel said that BNP was not even the opposition in parliament now.
Khaleda, surrounded by over a dozen of police and jail wardens, replied, ‘An opposition can be opposition outside of parliament for the people.’
With little interruption, Moudud continued reading out the charge sheet and said that he was grateful to the investigation officer for detailing how the then ruling Awami League was involved in finalising the contract with Niko.
Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol intervened and said the High Court went through it. ‘Do you want to challenge the High Court?’
Moudud replied that they wanted to stand by the charge sheet as it detailed how framework of understanding was done and in which intention, and in which ‘ill intention’ it was approved.
He sought an adjournment saying that 365 of his clients were waiting in another court for anticipatory bail.
On May 5, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission submitted charges against Khaleda, who was then in detention by the army-backed interim regime, and 10 others of abuse of power and graft in awarding a gas exploration and extraction deal to Niko.
Apart from Khaled and her law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former senior assistant secretary CM Yusuf Hossain, former general manager of BAPEX Mir Moinul Haque, former BAPEX secretary Md Shafiur Rahman, businessperson Giasuddin Al Mamun, former Dhaka Club president Selim Bhuiyan and Niko vice-president for South Asia Kashem Sharif were named in the charge sheet as accused.
Of the accused, Khaleda, who now was serving jail term after she was jailed in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8, 2018 while Mamun was serving jail terms in other cases.
Five of the accused are on bail while three accused — Moinul Haque, Khasem Sharif and Kamal — are being tried in their absence as they are still in hiding.
Shafiur Rahman was dropped from the trial after his death.
Giasuddin Al Mamun’s counsel Zahidul Islam Koyel argued that his client was not named in the First Information Report and his name only came in a reported confession of Selim Bhuiyan. He argued that Mamun was neither a government official nor associated with any agencies involved in the case.
Selim’s counsel Mustafizur Rahman argued that one of the 84 prosecution witnesses in the case named Selim rather he was named only based on his statement which he eventually retracted.
Power, energy and mineral resources ministry’s the then senior assistant secretary CM Yusuf Hossain defended himself and said that the ‘false’ case had ruined his life and no retirement was given only because of this case.
He said he was the lone accused from the ministry while the file was approved by the then deputy secretary Abdul Karim and the then joint secretary Miah Mustak Ahmed.
Yusuf Hossain said he was not even in the ministry but attached to the public administration ministry on promotion.
He told the court that the then deputy secretary Abdul Karim served during BNP-led government and the interim government and was made principal secretary by the ruling Awami League.
Yusuf said that the then joint secretary Mustak also served during the BNP-led government, the interim government and the subsequent AL government.
Judge of the court Sheikh Hafizur Rahman adjourned the hearing on charge framing until January 21 but. He, however, posted for January 15 the hearing on Moudud’s challenge to a document by which the prosecution claimed Moudud’s law firm had given legal assistance in the Niko deal.