Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia will not appear before the court for her self-defence session of the trial of Zia Charitable Trust Graft cases on Thursday.

The BNP chief’s office media wing official Shamsuddin Didar told NTV Online Khaleda Zia will not go to the special court at Bakshibazar in Old town, due to some unavoidable circumstances.

Earlier on 8 December, the Special Judge Court 3 granted Khaleda Zia more time to finish placing her statement in self-defence and adjourned the proceedings until 15 December as she pleaded for time.

The court has asked the defence to submit their list of witnesses on the next hearing date.

Pleading not guilty in the case, Khaleda Zia started placing her statement on 1 December. She also pleaded to produce witnesses to vouch for her, on that day.

Deputy Director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Harunur Rashid lodged the case against Khaleda and three others with Tejgaon Police Station on 8 August, 2011, for embezzling Taka 31.5million from the trust.

A total of 32 prosecution witnesses including the investigation officer have testified in the case. The other three accused in the case are BNP leader Sadek Hossain Khoka, Khaleda’s former political secretary Haris Chowdhury and BIWTA director Ziaul Islam Munna.