Dhaka, September 03 — The court has set September 8 as the new date for taking evidence against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and eight others in the NAICO corruption case. The decision was made on Tuesday after the witnesses failed to appear in court.

Earlier, on May 14, Khaleda Zia, along with the former Managing Director of BAPEX, was brought before Dhaka's No. 9 (temporary) special judge's court located in Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj. Abdul Baki, a witness in the case, had begun his testimony but it was not completed. Consequently, the court had previously scheduled June 11 for the continuation of the testimony.

In addition to Khaleda Zia, the other accused in the case include:

- Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former Chief Secretary

- Mir Moinul Haque, former General Manager of BAPEX

- Kashem Sharif, Vice President for South Asia Affairs of NAICO

- Khandkar Shahidul Islam, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

- CM Yusuf Hossain, former Senior Assistant Secretary

- Ghiyas Uddin Al Mamun, Businessman

- MAH Salim, former Member of Parliament for Bagerhat

Of these, the first three individuals are reportedly absconding.

Three other defendants, Barrister Maudud Ahmed, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, and former BAPEX secretary Shafiur Rahman, have passed away and were subsequently acquitted from the case.

The corruption case was initially filed by Muhammad Mahbubul Alam, the then Assistant Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), on December 9, 2007, at Tejgaon Police Station. The case accused Khaleda Zia and five others of causing financial damage to the state through a dubious contract with the Canadian company NAICO.

On May 5, 2008, ACC Assistant Director SM Sahedur Rahman filed a charge sheet against 11 individuals, including Khaleda Zia. The charge sheet alleged that the state's financial loss amounted to approximately 13,777 crore rupees.

The upcoming court session on September 8 will be crucial in determining the next steps in this high-profile corruption case.