Charge hearing in Khaleda’s Gatco case on Oct 8

A Dhaka court on Sunday (August 11) adjourned until October 8 the hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 12 others in Gatco graft case.

Today was fixed for the hearing on the acquittal of Khaleda Zia from the case in the court of Judge Muhammad Ali Hussain of the Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka. But a petition on behalf of Begum Khaleda Zia was submitted by her lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder seeking an adjournment of the hearing because she is ill.

Granting the petition for time extension, the court set October 8 as new date for charge framing.

On September 2, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon Model Police Station against Khaleda Zia and 12 others on the charge of misappropriating around Tk 1,000 crore while dealing with Global Agro Trade (Private) Company Limited (Gatco).

On May 13, 2008, the anti-graft body ACC pressed charges against the former premier and 23 others.

Meanwhile, names of nine other accused people, including Khaleda Zia’s son Arafat Rahman Koko, were dropped from the charge sheet following their deaths on different dates.