DHAKA: A Dhaka special court deferred to September 25 the hearing on charge framing in Gatco corruption case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 17 others.

The jail authorities did not produce the BNP chief before the temporary court installed at the newly built building of Keraniganj central jail on Thursday (August 22) as she has been undergoing treatment at BSMMU.

Khaleda’s lawyers told the court that their client has been undergoing treatment at BSMMU. So they pleaded for deferment of the hearing for her client’s absence. 

Earlier on April 1, Khaleda Zia, who was convicted in Zia Orphanage and Charitable trust cases, has been admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University from the old central jail in Old Dhaka, for treatment.

Responding the time petition, Judge Abu Syed Diljar of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 fixed April 30 for hearing on framing charge in the case.

The trial proceedings of the cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will be carried out in the temporary court at Keraniganj central jail, due to security reasons, according to a notification issued by the law ministry on Monday (May 13). 

Earlier on April 17, the same court deferred to May 14 the hearing on charge framing in Gatco corruption case.

The BNP chief was not produced before the special court installed at Alia Madrasha of Bakshibazar in Old Dhaka on that day due to her illness.

On January 24 this year, jail authority produced Khaleda Zia before the court on a wheelchair.

On March 5 in 2016, the same court granted bail to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia after she appeared before the court.

On September 2, 2007, ACC filed the Gatco corruption case during the military-backed caretaker government against Khaleda Zia, and her youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 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.

BDST: 1451 HRS, AUG 22, 2019
RS/SMS