The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The special corruption-trial court orders today whether charges would be framed against former Prime Minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and 7 others in the Khulna barge-mounted power plant graft case.

On Thursday, Judge M Firoze Alam, after closing arguments by both the prosecution and the defence lawyers on the arraignment hearings that had exhausted long 21 working days, fixed Sunday for its ruling that decides the fate of the high-profile persons.

The special court, set up in the high-security parliament complex to try corruption suspects under the current purge in the interim period, took up the case on February 7 for hearing.

On March 9, the Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor proposed framing charges against Hasina and the co-accused, while the defence counsel kicked off arguments for discharge of the accused from the case on April 3.

On September 2 last year, ACC Deputy Director Sabbir Hasan filed the case with Tejgaon police station, accusing Hasina and six others of using their influence through collusion in helping a foreign company and its local partners win a deal for setting up three 100-MW barge-mounted power plants at Haripur, Khulna and Shikalbaha sites, depriving the lowest bidder.

The co-accused are former energy secretary Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former Power Development Board (PDB) chairman Noor Uddin Mahmud Kamal, Managing Director of Summit Industries and Mercantile Corporation Private Ltd Aziz Khan, its Director Farid Khan, United Group Chairman Hasan Mahmud Raja and its Director Abul Kalam Azad.

Morshed Alam, deputy director of the ACC, submitted the charge sheet of the case on January 10 this year, incorporating the name of Bangabandhu Memorial Trust (BMT) curator Siddiqur Rahman.

Of them, the detained former PM, Hasina, and Dr Towfiq appeared in the dock to stand the trial while the rest seven absconding.