Dhaka, Feb. 13 -- A Dhaka court will deliver the verdict in a case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and seven others over corruption in the Niko gas exploration and extraction deal on Feb 19.

Judge Robiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-4 set the date at the end of arguments from both sides on Thursday, Hannan Bhuiyan, Khaleda's lawyer, said.

The Anti-Corruption Commission, or ACC, filed the case on Dec 9, 2007, after the BNP chief was arrested by the military-backed caretaker government.

Charges were pressed against 11 people, including Khaleda, in 2008, for allegedly costing the state Tk 137 billion in losses by awarding a gas exploration contract to Niko Resources, a Canadian oil and gas company.

The court indicted Khaleda a...