Khaleda gets bail upon surrender

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia was granted bail upon surrender to the Special Judge’s Court-9 in Dhaka in a graft case filed during the military-backed caretaker government in 2007 involving a Canadian resources company.
The judge, Md Aminul Islam, allowed the bail to the former prime minister in custody of her lawyer on a bond fee of Tk 1,00,000 after she appeared in the court in response to a High Court order rejecting a petition challenging legality of the reopening and proceeding of the case filed eight years ago.
The judge also said December 28 was scheduled for hearing on charge framing in the case.
Khaleda Zia, along with 10 others, including her cabinet member Moudud Ahmed, was accused of signing a gas exploration contract with Niko Resources Limited when she was prime minister without due process, causing Tk 13,777 crore in losses to the government.
Khaleda, who looked very tired and exhausted after climbing the narrow stairs of an old building, appeared in the court after one month and six days since a High Court bench had asked her to appear the trial court to seek bail.
Her counsel Khandaker Muhbub Hossain told the court that she had never misused bail.
He alleged that the case is ‘politically motivated’ as separate case was filed against Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on similar allegation during the ‘1/11 government’.
‘But,’ he said, ‘her [Hasina’s] case is now dismissed as she is current prime minister.’
‘The case was filed out of revenge…The case is only to defame her [Khaleda],’ Khaleda’s counsel told the court.
Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor Musharraf Hossain Kajol said they had objection to granting bail to Khaleda Zia as due to her the country suffered a huge loss.
The ACC filed the case on December 9, 2007 for allegedly causing a loss of Tk 13,777 crore to the state by awarding the gas exploration job to the Niko Resources when she was prime minister.
On June 18, the High Court rejected Khaleda’s petition questioning the legality of the case and lifted a freeze on the case proceedings.
It also ordered the former prime minister to surrender to the court within two months after receiving the court order.

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