DHAKA: The trial proceedings in the Gatco graft case filed against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to be continued.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha issued the order on Monday (August 21), upholding the decision of the High Court.

The apex court’s order cleared the way for the lower court to run trial proceedings against Khaleda Zia in Gatco corruption case.

The SC bench dismissed two leave-to appeal petitions filed by Khaleda Zia seeking stay on the trial proceeding.

The BNP chief filed the petitions on May 10 in 2016, challenging the High Court verdict that rejected her writ petitions against the initiation and continuation of the case.

Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan moved for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in the court, while senior lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Barrister Badrudduza Badal stood for Khaleda Zia.

On September 2 in 2007, the ACC filed the Gatco corruption case during the military-backed caretaker government against Khaleda Zia, her youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko and 11 others.

According to the case documents, the defendants illegally awarded the contract of container handling at the Chittagong port and the Dhaka's Inland Container Depot to a certain firm Gatco, causing a loss of Tk 145.64 million to the state exchequer.

On September 27 in 2007, Khaleda ZIa and Koko filed two petitions with the High Court challenging the legality of the case under the Emergency Rule Act and seeking a stay order on the trial's proceedings.

In 2008, a High Court bench issued a rule and stayed the trial's proceedings after hearing a petition of the BNP chief. Later, Khaleda Zia filed another petition challenging the legality of the case filed under the ACC Act.

BDST: 1015 HRS, AUG 21, 2017
EHJ