Getco case against Khaleda Zia, others: charge hearing June 6

Khaleda Zia under medical treatment.

A Dhaka court Sunday set June 6 for hearing on charge framing in the Gatco graft case against BNP Chief Begum Khaleda Zia and 14 others.

Judge Md Ali Hossain of the Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka passed the order, allowing a time plea of the defence.

Meanwhile, Advocate Syed Joynul Abedin Mejbah moved a plea on behalf of BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury who

sought discharge from the case. After a brief hearing on Sunday the court passed order for further hearing on behalf of Amir Khasru.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against 13 people, including Khaleda Zia and her younger son Arafat Rahman on September 2,

2007, with Tejgaon Model Police Station on the charge of their role in corruption about penning a contract with Global Agro Trade (Private) Co Limited (Gatco) for

container management at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chattogram.

Formal charge sheet was submitted against 24 people on May 13, 2008. But of the 24 accused, eight including Arafat Rahman Koko, M Saifur Rahman, MK

Anwer, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Ahmed Abdul Kashem have died so far, and their names are likely to be dropped from the case.

Besides, another accused former Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Matiur Rahman Nizami was executed after he was sentenced to death in a case filed under the

Crimes against Humanity during the War of Liberation. - Special Correspondent