Dhaka, Feb 14, (V7N) – The Dhaka 4th Special Judge Court has set February 19 as the date for the verdict in the Niko corruption case, involving former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with seven other accused. The case involves allegations of corruption in a gas exploration deal with the Canadian company Niko Resources in 2005 during Khaleda Zia’s tenure as Prime Minister.

After hearing the closing arguments from both the prosecution (Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC) and the defense on Thursday, Judge Rabbiul Alam announced the date for the verdict. The defense side has maintained Khaleda Zia's innocence, stating that there was no corruption involved in the gas deal.

The case dates back to 2007 when the ACC filed charges against Khaleda Zia, former Energy Advisor to the Prime Minister, and other officials for causing the country a significant financial loss by signing a deal with Niko without proper assessments. The court has already heard testimonies from 39 witnesses, out of the 68 total witnesses listed, including the investigating officer of the case. The testimonies concluded on February 5.

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