Indictment hearing in Gatco graft case July 10

A Dhaka court on Tuesday set July 10 to hold hearing on charge framing in Gatco graft case against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and 14 others.

Judge Ali Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 Sheikh Nazmul Alam passed the order, after holding hearing on a plea filed by accused Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury for exemption from the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against 13 people, including Khaleda and her younger son Arafat Rahman on September 2, 2007, with Tejgaon police station for their role in corruption regarding penning a contract with Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco) for container management at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chattogram.

Formal charge was submitted against 24 on May 13, 2008. But of the 24 accused, eight including Arafat, Saifur Rahman, MK Anwer, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Ahmed Abdul Kashem have died so far, and their names are expected to be dropped from the case.

Another accused former Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Matiur Rahman Nizami has been executed after getting convicted and sentenced to death in a crime against humanity case.