Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia is set to skip a special court on Monday in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

‘Khaleda Zia will not appear before the court on Monday as she is ill,’ said her counsel Sanaullah Mia on Sunday.

Party officials said the BNP chief is suffering from eye problem and she may go to London on 12 or 13 August for treatment.

Earlier on 2 August, the Special Judge’s Court 3, set up on the playground of Govt Alia Madrasah in the capital’s Bakshibazar, adjourned till 10 August the hearing on the two graft cases against Khaleda in her presence.

On that day, the defence cross-examined the plaintiff and key witness Harunur Rashid in the Zia charitable trust graft case in presence of the BNP chief at the courtroom. Harunur Rashid is a deputy director of Anti-Corruption Commission.

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.