Court Correspondent :
A Dhaka court on Sunday adjourned the hearing on charge framing in Gatco graft case filed against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and 14 others until July 17.
Judge Muhammad Ali Hussain of the Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka passed the order after hearing on a petition submitted on behalf of Khaleda Zia, seeking adjournment of the hearing, Masud Ahmed Talukder, one of the BNP leader’s lawyers, told this correspondent. With this, the judge adjourned the hearing for 40 times on different reasons.
In the petition, the lawyer said that they were yet to see some documents seized by the Investigation Officer during investigation. So, hearing should be adjourned, the lawyer added. Masud Talukder represented Khaleda Zia in the court in her absence as she was exempted from personal appearance earlier.
Eleven accused, including Khondaker Mosharraf Hossain and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, now on bail, were present in the courtroom. Other accused were absent and their lawyers submitted time petitions for their non-appearance in the court on Sunday.
On September 2, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission, ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Model Police Station against Begum Khaleda Zia and others on the charge of misappropriating about Tk 1,000 crore while dealing with Global Agro Trade (Private) Company Limited (Gatco).
On May 13, 2008, the ACC pressed charges against the former premier and 23 others. Meanwhile, names of nine other accused, including Khaleda’s younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, were dropped from the charge sheet following their deaths on different dates.
