Niko deals illegal: Hearing deferred again

Staff Correspondent: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) has deferred for four weeks more the hearing on the High Court (HC) verdict that declared the deals signed by Canadian company Niko with Bapex and Petrobangla as illegal.

A five-member Appellate Division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah passed the order on Thursday.

Earlier, the SC deferred for three weeks the hearing on the HC verdict.

The High court on August 24 declared that all deals signed by Canadian company Niko with Bapex and Petrobangla are illegal.

The High Court bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Abu Taher Saifur Rahman pronounced the verdict.

The court also asked the government to seize all assets of Niko in Bangladesh.

The court also blocked all payments to Niko until compensation for Sunamganj’s Tengratil gas well explosion is not paid.

Barrister Tanjib ul Alam moved for the writ petitioner while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the state. In the hearing, Barrister Moin Gani represented Bapex and Petrobangla.

In 2016, energy expert professor Shamsul Alam filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the deals of Niko.

Earlier, in 2003 and 2006 Niko signed the two deals, Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) and Gas Purchase and Sales Agreement (GPSA) with Bapex and Petrobangla respectively.

risingbd/Dhaka/Nov 9, 2017/Mehadi/Amirul