BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday once again expressed doubt whether she would get justice in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

“The scope and atmosphere of getting justice have totally been destroyed in a very planned and nasty way…. Many people are saying that an atmosphere of impunity has also been created due to unruly activities of the ruling quarter,” she told a special court in the capital's Bakshibazar while making a statement of self-defense in the case.

Referring to the resignation of Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, the BNP chief said the former chief justice was “declared ill and was compelled to step down in a particular way”, according to a press statement of the BNP.

“Under this circumstance, I am making this statement with confusion whether I will get justice,” Khaleda said.

The former prime minister said she was implicated in 36 cases, but it was very much clear to people that all those were filed out of “political vengeance”.  She claimed all those cases were filed based on untrue and baseless allegations.

“Everything has been done only to harass me and to tarnish my image and dignity. These cases have been filed as I am politically active and as the rulers consider me as a big challenge for them. However, the corruption cases filed against Sheikh Hasina have been withdrawn.”

The BNP leader alleged that the ruling party adopted the strategy of filing false cases to isolate her from the people.

“But their intention will not be fulfilled. By doing so, rather they are becoming isolated from the people.”

Khaleda said she was not afraid at all of false cases. But she feared that the atmosphere of getting justice had been “destroyed” in the country

The ruling party was “conspiring to achieve their agendas”, she told the court. “And that's why there is no atmosphere in the country of getting justice.”

Regarding the case, she claimed that she never held any post either at the Zia charitable trust or at the orphanage trust and she was not involved in bringing in donation money from abroad or its distribution.

“None of the trust employees are government officials. If anyone violates the law or get involved in any irregularity, cases can be filed against those under the trust law. But how can the Anti-Corruption Commission file a so-called case on irregularities at the trust? Does this fall under its jurisdiction?”

“Apart from this, there was no corruption. It is not clear to me why I was implicated in the case.”

Later, the court asked Khaleda to appear before it on November 23 to make her statement on self-defense.

Judge Md Akhteruzzaman of Special Judge's Court-5 passed the order as the BNP chief could not complete her statement and sought more time.

The former premier at the same court had earlier expressed doubt about getting justice in the case.