Indictment hearing in Khaleda's Gatco graft case Aug 29

A Dhaka court on Sunday has fixed August 29 for holding hearing in a corruption case filed against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and 14 others.

Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 Judge Ali Hossen set the date after holding a short hearing on two of the defendants' exemption plea.

The court set the date since the hearing didn't end on Sunday.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) accused 13 people, including Khaleda and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, of misappropriating enormous sums of money while working with Global Agro Trade (Pvt.) Company Ltd. (Gatco), in a case that was filed with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2, 2007.

Khaleda Zia and Koko were arrested the following day. On September 18 of the same year, the case was added to the Emergency Powers Act.

The anti-graft organization pressed charge against the BNP leader and 23 other people on May 13 of that year, resulting in 11 prosecutions.

After their deaths on various dates, the names of eleven suspects, including Khaleda's younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, were later removed from the charge sheet.

/MHK/