Gatco graft case: Khaleda asked to appear before court Apr 13

A Dhaka court has asked BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on April 13 in the Gatco graft case.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court-3 passed the order on Tuesday. It has also summoned 12 other accused in the case.

The High Court released the full text of its verdict rejecting the two petitions filed by the BNP chief challenging the legality of the graft case and its inclusion under the Emergency Powers Act.

 
On August 5 last year, an HC bench comprising Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Abdur Rob rejected the two writ petitions.


On September 2, 2007, the ACC filed the Gatco graft case against Khaleda and 12 others for causing a loss of Tk 145.64 crore to the national exchequer by allegedly awarding the contract of container handling at the Chittagong port and the Dhaka's Inland Container Depot to Gatco.

On September 27, 2007, Khaleda filed a petition with the HC challenging the legality of the inclusion of the case under the Emergency Powers Act and seeking a stay order on the trial proceedings.

In 2008, an HC bench issued a rule and stayed the trial proceedings after hearing the petition of the BNP chief.

In the same year, the proceedings of the graft case were stayed again as Khaleda filed another petition challenging the legality of the case.