A Dhaka court yesterday fixed July 18 for hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 37 others in a case filed for an arson attack on a passenger bus in the capital's Jatrabari last year.

Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order.

The court also transferred the case to the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka for its quick disposal.

Khaleda could not appear before it yesterday due to her “physical illness".

Earlier on March 30, the same court accepted the charges against Khaleda and 37 others and issued arrest warrants against Khaleda and 27 others as they did not secure bail from any courts.

Of the accused, Khaleda and nine others are now on bail while six including barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Shawkat Mahmud and Tanvir Ahmed Robin, son of former BNP lawmaker from Demra in Dhaka Salauddin Ahmed, are now in jail.

And 22 others, including BNP leaders Salauddin Ahmed (now in jail in India), Barkatullah Bulu, Khaleda's special assistant Shimul Biswas and press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan are absconding.

Detectives on May 19 last year pressed charges against Khaleda and 37 others, mostly her party men, for allegedly carrying out subversive activities through a petrol bomb attack on the bus on January 23,2015.

One person was killed and 30 others were injured in the attack during the BNP-led 20-party alliance's blockade.