HC suspends proceedings in Barapukuria corruption case

The High Court has issued an order to suspend all proceedings in the Barapukuria coal mine corruption case.

A bench consisting of Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman and Justice Shawkat Ali Chowdhury on Monday passed the order following a petition filed by Moazzem Hossain, the owner of Hosaf Meter.

At the court hearing, 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.

Earlier, on November 27, 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 February 26, 2008, at Shahbagh Police Station in Dhaka by Mohammad Shamshul Alam, Assistant Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). On October 5 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.

Among those named in the charge sheet, former Finance and Planning Minister Mohammad Saifur Rahman, former BNP Secretary General and former Local Government Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, and former Chairman of Petrobangla SR Osman were exempted from the case due to their deaths.