Khaleda Zia gets bail in Niko graft case

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been granted bail in connection with the Niko Graft Case.

According to a Daily Star report, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson surrendered before a Old Dhaka special judge's court, which fixed December 28 as the date for the framing of charges against Khaleda and 10 other accused in the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case in December, 2007 that accusedg Khaleda and others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was prime minister between 2001 and 2006.

Charges against Khaleda and 10 others were filed in May 2008. Two months later the Dhaka High Court stayed the proceedings of the case. On June 18 this year, the high court cleared the way for the trial proceedings to resume and ordered Khaleda to surrender before the trial court within two months after a copy of the high court verdict reached it.

Former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Kashem Sharif, vice-president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd, are also accused in the case.