Shawdesh desk:

A Dhaka court fixed October 16 to hold hearing on charge framing in Gatco graft case against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and 12 others.

Judge Ali Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 passed the order, as lawyers of some of the accused pleaded to extend the time.

Begum Zia appeared before the court through her lawyer.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against 13 people, including Khaleda and her younger son Arafat Rahman on September 2, 2007, with Tejgaon Police Station for their role in corruption regarding penning a contract with Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco) for container management at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chattogram.

Formal charge was submitted against 24 on May 13, 2008. But of the 24 accused, 11 including Arafat, Saifur Rahman, MK Anwer, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Ahmed Abdul Kashem have died so far. Another accused former Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Matiur Rahman Nizami has been executed after getting convicted and sentenced to death in crimes against humanity case.