Bangaldesh Opposition leader Khaleda Zia on Wednesday did not appear before a court here in connection with the hearing of graft cases against her, citing illness and confinement by authorities for the past four days. The counsels of the former Prime Minister filed a plea seeking more time for her to appear in the court in the ‘Zia Orphanage Trust’ and the ‘Zia Charitable Trust’ graft cases.
The court rejected the petition but exempted Zia from appearing at hearing. Zia has been confined to her offices in the Bangladeshi capital and barred from leaving by police as deadly street violence engulfed the country this past week. She has called a nationwide non-stop transport blockade in an effort to topple the government and pave the way for inclusive polls. Ties hit a new low after the BNP and other Opposition parties boycotted last year’s elections, claiming the contest would be rigged.