A Dhaka court on Sunday set March 13 for hearing on charges against BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia and 16 others in the Gatco graft case.
Judge Mohammad Ali Hossain of Dhaka’s Third Special Judge’s Court in Keraniganj Central Jail re-fixed the new date following a plea for extending the time of hearing due to the absence of Khaleda Zia for her illness.
The charge framing matter has remained pending for over 13 years, according to court sources.
The BNP leader is now out of jail following an executive order from the government.
On September 2, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against 13 people, including Khaleda and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, with Tejgaon police station on charges of misappropriating around Tk1,000 crore while dealing with Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco).
The next day, Khaleda Zia and Koko were arrested. The case was included in the Emergency Powers Act on September 18 of the same year.
On May 13, 2008, the anti-graft body pressed charges against the BNP chief and 23 others.
Meanwhile, the names of seven others accused, including Khaleda's younger son, were dropped from the charge sheet following their deaths on different dates.
The other accused are ex-BNP minister M Shamsul Islam, former state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources AK Mosharraf Hossain, former Chittagong port authority (CPA) chairman Julfikar Ali, Jahanara Akber, wife of deceased former minister Col (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.
