The Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-9 on Monday deferred till February 8 charge hearing in Niko graft case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and others. Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman passed the order at the newly built courtroom in front of Keraniganj Central Jail. Monday was fixed for the charge hearing in the case, but prime accused Khaleda Zia failed to appear before the court on health grounds and her lawyers pleaded for time. Allowing the defence plea, the court then adjourned the hearing till February 8. The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against five including Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon police station on December 9 in 2007, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas. The ACC on May 5 in 2008, submitted the charge sheet against 11 including Khaleda Zia. The other accused in the case are BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, then principal secretary to the prime minister Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former acting secretary at the ministry of energy and mineral resources Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former senior assistant secretary CM Yusuf Hossain, former BAPEX general manager Mir Moinul Haque, former BAPEX secretary Mohammad Shafiur Rahman, businessman Gias Uddin Al Mamun, former Bagerhat MP MAH Selim and Niko’s vice-president for South Asia Kashem Sharif. The ACC accused them of incurring a loss of more than Tk 13 thousand crore of state exchequer by that deal.