Indictment hearing in Khaleda’s Gatco graft case deferred to Mar 3

A Dhaka court has fixed March 3 to hold a hearing on indictment in Gatco graft case against Bangladeshi former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and others.

Acting judge of the Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 Nazrul Islam set the new date on Tuesday, allowing a time plea from the defendant.

Earlier On December 22, Tuesday (January 26) was set for the hearing on charge framing, but the prime accused Khaleda Zia was absent on the day due to health issues. Later, her lawyer filed the time plea before the court.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against 13 people, including Khaleda and her younger son Arafat Rahman, with Tejgaon police station on September 2, 2007, 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 Chittagong.

Formal charges were submitted against 24 individuals on May 13, 2008.

But of the 24 accused, six including Arafat, Saifur Rahman and Matiur Rahman Nizami have passed away.

Khaleda Zia is currently facing 34 cases filed with different courts and police stations across the country.

Earlier on March 25, 2020, the government released the BNP chairperson, suspending her sentence for six months on humanitarian grounds considering her age as she was serving prison sentences in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case and the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

On September 15 last year, Khaleda Zia’s conditional release from jail in two corruption cases was extended by another six months.

The home ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard on the same day.

As per the conditions, Khaleda Zia will not be allowed to go abroad for treatment as she will have to stay home and receive treatment there. She was released earlier on the same conditions.

nh/teb