A Dhaka court on Thursday exempted Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, its senior leaders Kandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury from Gatco graft case.
Another court scraped a case against Khaleda Zia and three others over the death of 42 people across the country during BNP’s blockade programme and general strikes in 2015.
Dhaka special judge court-3 judge Abu Taher passed the order after holding a hearing on charge framing in Gatco graft case.
The court, however, framed charges against 12 other accused including the former chairman of Chittagong port authority commodore (retired) Zulfikar Ali.
The 12 accused, who have been indicted in the case, are commodore (retired) Zulfikar Ali, Jahanara Ansar, Ismail Hossain Saimon, AKM Musa Kazal, Ehsan Eusuf, Julfikar Haider Chowdhury, AK Rashid Uddin Ahmed, then Gatco director Shahjahan M Hasib, Syed Tanvir Ahmed, Syed Galib Ahmed, ASM Shahadat Hossain and AM Sanowar Hossain.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against 13 people, including Khaleda and her younger son Arafat Rahman on September 2, 2007, with Tejgaon police station over penning a contract with Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd for container management at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chattogram.
The anti-graft body accused Khaleda Zia and others of causing a loss of Tk 14.56 crore to the state by awarding the job of container management at Dhaka ICD and Chattogram Port to Gatco.
A formal charge was submitted against 24 individuals on May 13, 2008. But of the 24 accused, eight, including Arafat and Saifur Rahman, died earlier. Another accused Matiur Rahman Nizami was hanged in a crime against humanity case. Their names were dropped, leaving 15 accused to face trial in the case.
Meanwhile, Dhaka additional chief metropolitan magistrate Ziadur Rahman passed an order, scrapping a case against Khaleda Zia and three others over the death of 42 people in 2015 after accepting a police report filed in this regard.
The three other accused in the case are BNP standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Miah, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University late professor Emajuddin Ahamed and former adviser to BNP chairperson Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury.
AB Siddique, president of Jananetri Parishad, filed the case with Dhaka metropolitan magistrate court on February 2, 2015. The court later ordered Gulshan police station to file a report.
The investigation officer submitted his report on September 21, 2024, saying allegations brought against the accused under sections 302/34/109 of the penal code, were not found to be true.
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