File photo of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneOf the 16 accused, six have diedA Dhaka court has set May 16 as the date for a hearing of the Barapukuria Coal Mine graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Previously, on February 26, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a graft case against Khaleda Zia—and 15 others—at the Shahbagh Police Station. Also Read- HC accepts Khaleda's appeal in Zia Charitable Trust graft caseThey were accused of causing a loss of Tk159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operating the Barapukuria Coal Mine—to a Chinese company—through abuse of power. Of the 16 accused, six have died, and their names are expected to be dropped from the case when the charges are framed. The High Court, on February 25, 2019, ordered the lower court concerned to dispose of the case within six months.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 02, 2019 09:56 UTC