High Court clears trial of former BNP minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain

The High Court has cleared the way to try former BNP minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain in the GATCO graft case by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

The bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman lifted a stay order on the trial proceedings against the former state minister for energy.

It also ordered Mosharraf to surrender before the trial court within 60 days of receiving the order’s copy.

The Gatco case was filed during the caretaker regime in 2007, which said that the state incurred a loss of Tk 145.63 million by awarding Gatco container handling works at the Dhaka Inland Container Depot (ICD) and the Chittagong port.

Charges were pressed against 24 people, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia and several ministers during the 2001-04 BNP-Jamaat government.

Mosharraf had moved the High Court with a petition to cancel the case, when a rule was issued and proceedings against the BNP leader were stopped.

On Tuesday, the High Court resolved the rule and lifted the stay order.

The latest order means that there are no more obstacles to try Mosharraf in the case, said ACC’s lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan.

He added that the trial court will now hold hearings for charge framing as the chargesheet has been submitted.

In August this year, the High Court rejected two pleas filed by BNP chief Khaleda challenging the legality of the case. It lifted a stay on the case and ordered Khaleda to surrender in trial court.