Khaleda asked to surrender in Gatco case

A court in the capital asked BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to surrender within April 13 in Gatco graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Judge Abu Ali Jamadar of Dhaka Special Court-3 passed the order on Tuesday after hearing in the case.

Earlier on February 15 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 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.

Khaleda on September 27, 2007 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.