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Court Reporter/

The court postponed the date of hearing regarding the framing of charges against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and 11 accused in the Barapukuria coal mine corruption case and fixed May 29.

Monday in Keraniganj, Dhaka Central Jail, newly built building number 2, the judge of temporary special judge court-2. Aktaruzzaman granted the defendant’s time application and set a new date. Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Hannan Bhuiyan confirmed this information. He said that the case was scheduled to be heard on this day. If a hearing is requested to frame the complaint, the judge grants the request for time and sets a new date.

According to the complaint of the case, ACC Assistant Director Samchul Alam filed this case on February 26, 2008 at Shahbagh police station on allegations of irregularities in appointment of contractors for extraction, management and maintenance of coal from Dinajpur’s Barapukuria coal mine and loss and embezzlement of Tk 158 crore 71 lakh to the state. On October 5 of that year, ACC Deputy Director Abul Kasem Faki filed a charge sheet against 16 accused.

According to Barapukuria corruption case details, during the 1/11 emergency, the former caretaker government filed the Barapukuria coal mine corruption case against Khaleda Zia and her cabinet members on 26 February 2008. The case was filed by the then Assistant Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Samchul Alam, at the Shahbag police station.

In the case, it was alleged that Khaleda Zia had caused financial loss to the state by approving the Barapukuria coal mine in a cabinet meeting.

Later, Khaleda Zia filed a writ in the High Court challenging the validity of the case. On October 16, 2008, the High Court bench comprising Justice Syed Mohammad Dastgir Hossain and Justice Farid Ahmed adjourned the Barapukuria coal mine case for three months.

At the same time, he also issued a rule ordering the government to show the reasons why the cases and activities will not be illegal and illegal. Later the period of suspension of the case was extended. Khaleda Zia is on permanent bail in this case.