DHAKA: A Dhaka special court deferred to April 17 the hearing on charge framing in Gatco corruption case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 17 others.

The BNP chief was not produced before the special court installed at Alia Madrasha of Bakshibazar in Old Dhaka on Monday (March 18) due to her illness.

Khaleda’s lawyer advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder pleaded for adjourning the hearing for her client’s absence.

Responding the plea, Judge Abu Syed Diljar of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 fixed April 17 for hearing on forming charge in the case.

On February 27 this year, jail authority produced Khaleda Zia before the court on a wheelchair.

On March 5 in 2016, the same court granted bail to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia after she appeared before the court.

On September 2, 2007, ACC filed the Gatco corruption case during the military-backed caretaker government against Khaleda Zia, and her youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others.

According to the case documents, the defendants illegally awarded the contract of container handling at the Chittagong port and the Dhaka's Inland Container Depot to a certain firm Gatco, causing a loss of Tk 145.64 million to the state exchequer.

BDST: 1532 HRS, MAR 18, 2019
RS/SMS