The Niko corruption case against detained former premier Sheikh Hasina and eight others was transferred yesterday to a special court set up at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar MP hostel for trial.
After scrutinising the case documents, Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court transferred the case to the Special Judge's Court-2.
Earlier, the court had directed the authorities concerned to publish an advertisement in two national Bangla dailies asking the six absconding accused to appear before the court by yesterday. But the six accused did not turn themselves in to the court.
The same court on May 14 directed the jail authorities to produce Sheikh Hasina and two other detained accused before it yesterday in connection with the case. But, only detained former state minister for energy Prof Rafiqul Islam was produced before the court yesterday.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) pressed charges against Hasina and eight others on May 7 for awarding a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko Resources through corruption and abuse of power.
The six absconding accused are former principal secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Dr SM Samad, former energy secretary M Akmal Hossain, former Petrobangla chairman Mosharraf Hossain, and Vice-President (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif, former secretary of External Resources Division Dr AKM Moshiur Rahman and former director of Petrobangla (mines and mineral and operation) Sayed Anwarul Haque.
The ACC filed the case with the Tejgaon Police Station against seven people including Hasina on December 9 last year.