Dhaka: The Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 has released the full text of its judgment in the Niko graft case, revealing that BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was implicated in the case with the intention of tarnishing her reputation. The judgment, pronounced by Judge Rabiul Alam on February 19, acquitted Khaleda Zia and seven others of all charges.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the court's detailed 133-page judgment stated that the agreement with Niko was made during the tenure of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Two separate cases were filed in 2007 against Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia concerning Niko's alleged corruption. The High Court dismissed the case against Sheikh Hasina in 2010, but the proceedings against Khaleda Zia continued for 18 years, which the court noted was a move driven by political motives.
The judgment elaborated that a Framework of Understanding for developing hydrocarbon production from marginal gas fields was signed between Bapex and Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd on August 23, 1999, under Sheikh Hasina's administration. It observed that Khaleda Zia and the other defendants had no malafide intentions in executing the Joint Venture Agreement and had not committed any corruption or abuse of power.
The court also highlighted the treatment of accused Selim Bhuiyan, who was reportedly tortured during a four-day remand despite the case originating from the Tejgaon Police Station. His forced confession was deemed unreliable by the court. The judgment reiterated that the involvement of Khaleda Zia and others in the case was politically motivated.
Alongside Khaleda Zia, those acquitted included Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Yusuf Hossain, Mir Mainul Haque, Gias Uddin Al Mamun, Selim Bhuiyan, and Kashem Sharif. The case, initially filed on December 9, 2007, accused Khaleda Zia and others of causing significant financial losses to the state through the agreement with Niko. However, the charges against some individuals were dropped due to their deaths.
Throughout the trial, 39 out of 68 witnesses provided testimony, ultimately leading to the acquittal of Khaleda Zia and her co-defendants.