The High Court set February 9 to start hearing over the legality of the Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco) corruption case lodged against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seven years ago.
The bench of Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hasan on Wednesday fixed the date following a plea of the Anti Corruption Commission.
The case was filed against the BNP chairperson, her son, deceased Arafat Rahman Koko, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Matiur Rahman Nizami, and 21 others with Tejgaon Police Station in 2007 on charges of corruption in awarding Gatco, a contract for container handling at the inland container depots in Dhaka and Chittagong. The graft caused the state exchequer a loss of over Taka 1,000 crore.
The case is in limbo after the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case.
In response to a writ petition, the HC on September 30 in 2007 halted the case and sought explanation as to why bringing the case under the EPR should not be held illegal.
Later, the stay order was annulled by the Appellate Division. Following another writ petition that questioned the ACC sanction in registering the case, the HC on July 15, 2008 stayed the proceedings of the case again.