A BANGLADESHI court ordered the arrest of opposition leader Khaleda Zia today over the 2015 torching of a bus that cost eight lives.

Comilla district court magistrate Joynab Begum issued a warrant for former prime minister Ms Zia and 54 other members of her Bangladesh National Party (BNP) after they failed to attend a packed hearing.

Public Prosecutor Mostafizur Rahman Liton said: “The court ordered arrests of 55, including Khaleda Zia, as they did not appear.”