The defence lawyer for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday began cross-examining ACC Deputy Director Muhammad MahbubulAlam in the much talked about Niko graft case.
Alam is also the complainant of the corruption case.
BNP’s lawyer Aminul Islam cross-examined Mahbubul on different points for over two hours.
However, the lawyer could not complete the cross-examination.
As a result Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Special Judge's Court-9 of Dhaka set October 16 for the next hearing of the case.
Earlier, the same judge recorded the statement of the complainant, and later, the defence for four other accused, now on bail, and cross-examined him on different dates.
The judge on September 17 allowed the ACC to produce an official of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and two officials of Royal Canadian Mounted Police as witnesses in the case.
The officials are Debra La Prevotte Griffith of FBI and Kelvin Duggan and Lloyd Schoepp of Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin was present during Tuesday's hearing.
Khaleda's personal appearance was earlier exempted and advocate Ziauddin Zia represented her in the court in her absence.
Khaleda is now ill and was earlier admitted to Evercare Hospital for treatment.
She got out of jail following an executive order of the government.
On March 19, the same court framed charges against Khaleda and others.
Four others -- former acting secretary for energy ministry KhondakerShahidul Islam, its former senior assistant secretary CM Yusuf Hussain, and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman's close friend Giausuddin Al Mamun and former Dhaka Club president SelimBhuiyan -- are now on bail and were present at the court Tuesday.
Three others, including former principal secretary to the former prime minister, Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, remain absconding.
ACC filed the case in December 2007, accusing Khaleda and several others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was prime minister between 2001 and 2006.
Three of the accused in the case -- including former state minister for energy and BNP leader AKM Mosharraf Hossain and former law minister Moudud Ahmed-- died earlier. Their names were dropped from the charges.
Khaleda Zia was convicted on different terms of punishment in two other cases, including the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.