A Dhaka court adjourned the hearing till July 15, in Gatco graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and others, as the prime accused were absent as on the last few hearing dates.
Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 Judge Abu Syed Dilzar Hossain set the new date for holding indictment hearing in the case at the newly-constructed temporary court in front of the Keraniganj Central Jail on Tuesday, reports BSS.
Earlier, the court set Tuesday for holding of hearing for framing of charges, but the jail authorities could not produce Khaleda Zia before the court as she was undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
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 Chittagong.
Formal charges were submitted against 24 people on May 13, 2008. But of the 24 accused, six including Arafat, Saifur Rahman, and Matiur Rahman Nizami have so far died.
Khaleda Zia later filed two writ petitions with the High Court, challenging the legality of bringing the case under emergency power rules, and sought a stay on the proceedings of the case in the trial court.
The High Court on July 15, 2008, stayed the trial proceedings of the case, and issued separate rulings in this regard.
