Dhaka:  A Dhaka court on Sunday fixed 31 August to decide whether the chargesheets submitted against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 37 others in two cases filed over Jatrabari arson attack will be accepted or not.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmood Adnan set the fresh date after a hearing on it.

If the chargesheets are accepted, the hearing on charge framing against the BNP chief and others will continue while arrest warrant will be issued against the fugitives.

On 23 January, at least 29 people suffered burn injuries after miscreants hurled two petrol bombs at a Glory Paribahan bus at Katherpul of Jatrabari at about 9.30pm on its way to Rupganj from Gulistan. One of the injured later died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

Jatrabari Police sub-inspector KM Nuruzzaman filed the two cases –one for killing and the other for hurling petrol bombs­– under the Special Powers Act on 24 January, making Khaleda the mastermind of the incident.

According to the case statements, the BNP chairperson on 5 January called the countrywide non-stop blockade and asked her leaders and activists to paralyse the country until the government was ousted. Following her directives, her party men torched the bus.

The Detective Brunch (DB) of police submitted three separate chargesheets to the CMM against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 37 others on 6 May and 19 May in the case filed under the Special Powers Act in connection with the incident.

The other accused include BNP joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Dhaka City BNP member secretary Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel, Khaleda’s special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, BNP central leaders Azizul Bari Helal, Sultan Salauddin Tuku and Swechchhasebak Dal secretary Sharafatullah Safu.