The High Court on Monday stayed all trial proceedings of the Barapukuria coal mine corruption case for six months. The HC bench, comprising Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman and Justice Shawkat Ali Chowdhury, issued the order following a petition filed by Moazzem Hossain, the owner of Hosaf Meter.
The HC bench also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the case filed against Khaleda Zia should not be dismissed.
Senior advocates Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol, Barrister ABM Altaf Hossain, and Advocate Khandakar Maruf Hossain represented the petitioner. Advocate Asif Hasan appeared on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), while Additional Attorney General Arshadur Rauf represented the government during the court proceedings.
Earlier, on 27 November, former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was acquitted in the case.
Regarding the case, lawyers explained that the tender process for coal extraction from the Barapukuria coal mine was conducted in accordance with proper procedures. However, during the one-eleven government, cases were filed against top leaders from both the BNP and Awami League in an effort to remove them from politics.
Subsequently, when Sheikh Hasina came to power, she allegedly influenced the court to have her name removed from the case. Meanwhile, political vengeance was cited as the reason why Khaleda Zia and other BNP leaders were targeted, resulting in a prolonged delay in framing charges.
The case was filed on 26 February 2008 at Shahbagh Police Station in Dhaka by Mohammad Shamshul Alam, Assistant Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). On 5 October of the same year, ACC Deputy Director Md Abul Kasem Fakir submitted a charge sheet to the court, naming 16 individuals, including Khaleda Zia, as accused.
Of the total accused, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Matiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed were hanged after being convicted in crimes against humanity cases, while Barrister Aminul Huq, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam, and AKM Mosharraf Hossain died of natural causes and their names were dropped from the case.
They were accused of causing a loss of around Tk 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for the operation of the Barapukuria coal mine to a Chinese company through abuse of power.
