Dhaka: Although she was facing a production warrant, the jail authorities could not produce BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia before a court on Wednesday in the Gatco corruption case as she got a boil on one of her legs, reports the UNB.

Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 was scheduled to hear the charge-framing in the case today. 

However, Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal told the court that the BNP chief could not be produced as an abscess developed on her legs.

He also prayed to the court to continue the hearing in the absence of Khaleda Zia.

However, the BNP chairperson’s counsel Masud Ahmed Parvez said they want to hear the charge-framing in her presence.

Later, Judge Abu Syed Diljar Hossain fixed January 24 for the hearing.

On January 10, the court issued the warrant for producing Khaleda who has been in jail since February 8 last year, before it in the case.

On November 25 last, the High Court directed the lower court to conclude the trial proceedings of the Gatco graft case filed against Khaleda and others within six months.

On September 2, 2007, the ACC filed the graft case against the two Gatco company directors, Khaleda and others for causing a loss of Tk 1,000 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.