DHAKA: A Dhaka special court deferred to Nov 27 the hearing on charge framing in Gatco corruption case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and 17 others.

Jail authorities did not produce the BNP chief before the special court installed in the temporary court at Keraniganj central jail on Sunday (Oct 27) due to her illness.

Earlier on April 1, Khaleda Zia, who was convicted in Zia Orphanage and Charitable trust cases, has been admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University from the old central jail in Old Dhaka, for treatment.

Responding the time petition, Judge Abu Syed Diljar Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 fixed Nov 27 for hearing on framing charge in the case.

The trial proceedings of the cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is being carried out in the temporary court at Keraniganj central jail, due to security reasons, according to a notification issued by the law ministry on Monday (May 13).

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: 1211 HRS, OCT 27, 2019
RS