Dhaka, March 3 -- In a significant ruling, the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 has acquitted BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and seven others of all charges in the Niko corruption case, stating that she was implicated solely to tarnish her reputation for political reasons.

The judgment, delivered by Judge Rabiul Alam on 19 February, was made public today in a 133-page full text.

The court emphasised that the Niko deal was signed during the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, noting that the case against Khaleda Zia had been prolonged for 18 years due to political motivations.

The court's observations pointed out that the agreement with Niko, signed on 23 August 1999, under the Framework of Understanding (FOU) between Bapex and...