Court Correspondent :
A Dhaka court yesterday fixed November 23 for hearing in the GATCO graft case against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and 14 others.
Judge Ali Hossen of the Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka passed the order re-fixing the new date.
Earlier, Advocate Taherul Islam Touhid competed discharge hearing on behalf of Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, who is presently under medical treatment abroad.
On September 2 of 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the cases against 13 people, including Khaleda Zia and her younger son late Arafat Rahman Koko with Tejgaon Model Police Station on the charges of misappropriating huge money while dealing with Global Agro Trade (Private) Company Limited (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 submitted the charge sheet of the case to the court against the BNP Chief Khaleda Zia and 23 others, inflicting 11 in the case.
Late, the names of eleven accused, including Khaleda Zia’s younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, were dropped the charge sheet following their death on different dates.
The other accused people are- BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chow-dhury, former Chairman of Chattogram Port Authority Commodore Zulfiquar Ali, Late Minister (retired) Colonel Akbar Husan’s wife Jaharara Akbar, his two sons Ismail Husain Saimon and AKM Musa Kajal, Ehsan Yusuf, former Naval Secretary Zulfiquar Haider Chowdhury, Chattogram Port Authority’s former member AK Rashid Uddin Ahmed, GATCO Director Shahjahan M Hasib, GATCO Directors Syed Tanvir Ahmed and Syed Galib Ahmed, former Chairman of Chattogram Port Authority ASM Shahadat Hossain, Port’s former Director (Transport) AM Sanowar Hossain and former member of the Port Lutful Kabir.
