Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia appeared before a special court in Dhaka in in Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

The BNP chief reached at Dhaka 5 Special Judge Akhteruzzaman’s court set up at the playground of Government Alia Madrasah in Dhaka’s Bakshibazar at about 12:00noon on Thursday.

Khaleda Zia started her journey for the court from her Gulshan residence at about 10:30am.

Earlier, on 19 October, Khaleda Zia placed half of her self-defence statement in two graft cases. The court fixed 26 October for recording rest of her statement.

The special court also granted bail to Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases upon a bond of Tk 1 lakh. The court also asked her to take its permission before leaving the country.

Khaleda Zia returned home from the UK on 18 October afternoon after over a three-month stay there. She reached Hazrat Shahjajal International Airport by an Emirates Airlines flight at about 5:08pm.

Earlier on October 12, Dhaka Special Court-5 issued the warrant for the arrest of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case as she went to London without its permission.

On 9 October, a Comilla court issued arrest warrant against Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a case filed over an arson attack on a bus at Chauddagram upazila of the district in 2015.

On July 3, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, and four others for misappropriating over Tk 21.0 million (2.10 crore) that came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.

On 3 February, 2015, eight people were killed and 20 injured in a crude bomb attack on a Unique Paribahan bus at Noabazar area of Chauddagram on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway during the countrywide blockade programme enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

Police filed a case against 56 identified people including former Jamaat-e-Islam lawmaker Dr Abdullah Mohmmad Taher and 20 unidentified people. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and party’s six top leaders were also named in the case as the instigators.

On 6 March, 2017, the Chauddagram police Sub-inspector (SI) and the case’s investigation officer Mohammad Ibrahim filed charge sheet against 78 people including Khaleda Zia.