Dhaka: Authorities in emergency-ruled Bangladesh today filed a second corruption case against detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia and 15 leaders of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)and its partner Jamaat-e-Islami.

Bangladesh s Anti Corruption Commission alleged that Zia, along with former Finance Minister Saifur Rahman, JI chief and former Industry Minister Motiur Rahman Nizami, JI secretary general and former Social Welfare minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and 12 other ministers had awarded a contract to run a coal mine to a firm in 2004 in exchange of kickbacks.

This is the second graft case against Zia and the first against the two top JI leaders since the current interim government in Bangladesh launched a massive anti-graft campaign after its installation with crucial military support on January 12,2007.

An ACC official filed the case with police saying the controversial Barapukuria coalmine project in northwestern Dinajpur cost the government more than Taka 158 crore.

According to the ACC chargesheet, three companies took part in the bidding, but none of them qualified for agreement and the government later awarded the contract to Consortium of China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) on June 4,2005 defying proposals for fresh bidding.

Source : PTI