The High Court on Wednesday rejected summarily a petition filed by main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking cancellation of the proceedings in Niko graft case against her.

The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam passed the order.

The order paved the way for the Special Court 9 judge to examine prosecution witnesses in the Niko case.

Khaleda’s lawyer Kayser Kamal later told reporters that Khaleda would file appeal against the High Court order.

The court on March 19 framed charges against Khaleda and seven others in the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission on December 9 in 2007, filed the case accusing Khaleda, also former prime minister, and four others of causing a loss of Tk 13,777 core to the state exchequer by signing an oil and gas exploration agreement with Canadian company Niko Resources Limited during the BNP rule.

The commission on the same day also filed a case accusing Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister, and six others of causing Tk 13,630 crore loss to the state exchequer and abusing power by awarding contracts on three ‘abandoned’ gas fields in Chhatak, Kamta and Feni to Niko Resources Ltd during the Awami League rule in 1996–2001.

The proceedings in the Niko graft case against prime minister Sheikh Hasina was quashed by the High Court on March 11, 2010.

ACC filed no appeal against her acquittal.

Former attorney general AJ Mohammad Ali appeared for Khaleda while senior lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan defended the ACC.

Additional attorney general Mehedi Hassan Chowdhury represented the state.