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Download PDF The Gatco graft case against detained former premier Khaleda Zia, her son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others including five former ministers was transferred yesterday to a special court on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises for trial.
After scrutinisng the case docket and other relevant documents, Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Senior Special Judge’s Court ordered sending the case to the Special Judge’s Court-3 for its quick disposal.
The accused former ministers of the four-party coalition government are Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Saifur Rahman, Jamaat Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.
Earlier on May 22, the same court had directed seven ‘absconding’ accused including Saifur Rahman and Amir Khasru to appear before it by yesterday.
But the accused did not comply with the court order.
So, the court said trial of the case against Saifur, Amir Khasru and five others would continue in their absence.
The five other absconding accused are former shipping secretary Zulfikar Haider Chowdhury, Gatco directors AKM Musa Kajol, Ehsan Yusuf, Shahjahan M Hasib, and former shipping minister late Col (retd) Akbar Hossain’s wife Jahanara Ansar.
The same court on May 15 issued arrest warrants against 12 absconding accused in the case, including Saifur, Bhuiyan, Nizami, MK Anwar, Shamsul Islam and Amir Khasru.
Following the order, Bhuiyan, Shamsul Islam and MK Anwar surrendered before the court and were sent to jail while Nizami was arrested and sent to jail after being produced in the court.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on May 13 pressed charges against Khaleda and the 23 others.
The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2 last year against 13 people, including Khaleda and her son, for graft in awarding Gatco container handling work at depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.
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