Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia was granted bail on Sunday in Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.

Abu Ahmed Jamadar, judge of Special Judge’s Court-3 on the Bakshibazar Alia Madrasah playground, passed the order after Khaleda's lawyer Sanaullah Miah filed petitions seeking bail.

The court fixed 5 May for next hearing on the two cases.

Earlier, Khaleda Zia, who has an arrest warrant in the cases, started her journey from her Gulshan office at about 9:55am and reached the court premises at 10:35am, reports UNB.

If she gets bail in the cases from the court, Khaleda will return to her Gulshan residence, after her three months’ stay at party office in Gulshan, said BNP chairperson's media wing member Syrul Kabir Khan.

Khaleda had been staying in her Gulshan office since 3 January and she had not come out of it even for a single time since then, even after the death of her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko.

Earlier, on Saturday, Khaleda Zia’s counsel Sanaullah Mia said, ‘Khaleda Zia has to appear before the court on Sunday for two cases filed with Alia Madrassah court. As you know, one is Ziaur Rahman Charitable Trust and the other is Zia Orphanage Trust. Khaleda Zia had appeared before the court 24 December, 2014 before she was confined in her office.’

Khaleda Zia, who is facing an arrest warrant in the two graft cases, did not appear before the court on 4 March citing security concern.

 On 25 February, the court issued a warrant for the arrest of Khaleda and two other accused in the two graft cases revoking bail as she had skipped hearings on several occasions.

Khaleda has been staying in her Gulshan office since 3 January and she has never come out of it since then, even after the death of her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and on the International Mother Language and Independence Days.