A Dhaka court on Tuesday (May 10) deferred till June 5 the hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 19 others in the Gatco graft case that involves Tk1,000 crore.

Judge Mohammed Ali Hossain of the Dhaka’s Third Special Judge’s Court set the fresh date after accepting a time plea filed by Khaleda Zia’s counsel.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), however, opposed the petition.

On September 2, 2007, the ACC filed the case with Tejgaon police station against Khaleda, her youngest son late Arafat Rahman Koko, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami (hanged for crimes against humanity in 1971) and 24 others. The case was filed under the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR).

According to the case, there was corruption in the awarding of a contract to Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Company Ltd (Gatco) for container management at inland depots in Dhaka and Chittagong. The graft allegedly cost the state exchequer over Tk1,000 crore.

On May 13, 2008, ACC Deputy Director Johirul Huda, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted charges against Khaleda Zia and 18 others in the case.

The other accused are ex-BNP minister M Shamsul Islam, former state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources AK Mosharraf Hossen, former minister Dr Khondoker Mosharraf Hossen, former Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) chairman Commodore Julfikar Ali, Jahanara Akber, wife of deceased former minister Colonel (retd) Akbar Hossain, and their two sons—Ismail Hossain Saimon and AKM Musa Kazal, former shipping secretary Julfikar Haider Chowdhury, former CPA member AK Rashid Uddin Ahmed, GATCO directors Shahjahan M Hasib and Syed Tanvir Ahmed and Syed Galib Ahmed, CPA former chairman ASM Shahadat Hossain, former port director (transport) AM Sanowar Hossain and former port Member Lutful Kabir.

Khaleda Zia was arrested in the case on September 2, 2007. She was freed the following year after she secured bail in Gatco and three other cases.

BDST: 1354 HRS, MAY 10, 2022
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