A court in Dhaka has fixed May 16 for the hearing for indictment in the Barapukuria coal mine graft case against BNP chief Khaleda Zia and 9 others.

The court of Dhaka special judge-2 was scheduled to hold the hearing on Thursday (May 2) but deferred it as Khaleda was not present before the court, said the defendant’s counsel Ziauddin Zia.

“Khaleda Zia has not been able to present before the court as she is undergoing treatment. So, the indictment hearing in Barapukuria coalmine graft case deferred again,” said Zia.

Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kajol moved for the state.

A three-time premier, Khaleda and 15 others stand accused of causing the state a loss of nearly Tk 1.59 billion by signing a deal with the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) to operate, manage, and maintain the Barapukuria coal mine.

Of the 16 accused, six have died, and their names are expected to be dropped from the case when the charges are framed.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) started the case in 2008, during the emergency regime of the military-backed caretaker administration.

The graft watchdog pressed charges against them in court in October the same year.