Dhaka, Oct 24 (V7N) – BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with two others, has been acquitted by a Dhaka court in the Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Company Ltd (Gatco) corruption case.

The two others who were acquitted are former minister Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Judge Abu Taher of Dhaka's Special Court-3 delivered the verdict after a hearing on the case.

Despite their acquittal, the court has ordered the trial to continue against 12 other accused individuals.

The case, which was scheduled for a charge-framing hearing on Thursday, saw Khaleda Zia's lawyer submitting her attendance on her behalf, after which the hearing commenced.

Defense lawyers Masud Ahmed Talukdar, Zia Uddin Zia, Syed Zainul Abedin Mezbah, and Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan argued for their clients' acquittal, while Anti-Corruption Commission's Public Prosecutor, Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, pushed for framing charges.

After the hearing, the court acquitted Khaleda Zia and the two others, but charges were framed against the remaining 12 accused.

This case dates back to September 2, 2007, when the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed charges against 13 people, including Khaleda Zia and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, alleging large-scale embezzlement through Gatco dealings.

A day after the charges were filed, Khaleda Zia and Koko were arrested. On September 18, 2007, the case was brought under the Emergency Powers Act.

On May 13, 2008, the ACC filed charge sheets against Khaleda and 23 others, implicating 11 more individuals.

Following later developments, 11 accused, including Arafat Rahman Koko, were removed from the charge sheet due to their deaths.

END/MSS/RH