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

Earlier, on Sunday Khaleda Zia’s counsel Sanaullah Mia said the journalists, ‘BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will appear before the court on Monday.’

The BNP chief left her Gulshan residence at about 9:30am for the special court.

Earlier on 23 July, the Special Judge’s Court 3, set up on the playground of Govt Alia Madrasah in the capital’s Bakshibazar, adjourned till 3 August the hearing on the two graft cases against Khaleda in her presence.

On 8 August, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid, also an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on 16 January, 2012.

Besides, the ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on 3 July, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK after securing bail, and four others for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.

On 5 August, 2010, Harunur Rashid submitted a charge- sheet to the court in the case against six people, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.