The High Court yesterday directed former BNP home minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury to surrender before the trial court in Barapukuria coal mine corruption case.

The HC passed the order after rejecting a petition filed by Altaf in 2008 seeking cancellation of the trial proceedings in the case filed by the Anti Corruption Commission.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the HC in 2008 stayed the trial proceedings. Yesterday, the HC vacated the stay order and discharged the rule, the ACC lawyer said.

The ACC on February 26, 2008 filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station accusing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 15 others of causing a loss of Tk 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for the operation of Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company.

Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon appeared for Altaf Hossain Choudhury.