The Bangladesh Journal - Lawyer challenges Khaleda Zia's house arrest in High Court

A lawyer Thursday filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of the reported house arrest of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

The petition also challenged the legality of cutting off telephone connections of Khaleda 's home and piling pressure on her to leave the country.The court will hear the petition Sunday.On April 25, the home ministry issued a circular denying pressure on the BNP chairperson to leave Bangladesh.

Advocate Abdul Wadud Khondoker of the Supreme Court filed the petition seeking court orders to free Khaleda from "house arrest", allow her to see relatives, friends and lawyers and not to force her to leave the country.The bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Jubayer Rahman Chowdhury received the petition.

In the petition, Khondoker said Khaleda was illegally put under house arrest. "Her telephone connections were cut off to add to the pressure on her to leave the country."The petitioner said the government illegally arranged a meeting between Khaleda and her detained son Tarique Rahman at an undisclosed place.

It was not only illegal, but also disgraceful.Khaleda 's other son Arafat Rahman, nicknamed Coco, was also held and freed within 24 hours, he said.Home secretary, defence secretary, telecommunications secretary, IGP, DG of RAB, DMP commissioner are the respondents to the petition.

After BNP leader Babul Chowdhury had filed an appeal, a High Court bench issued a rule on the government to explain why Khaleda will not be taken to court to prove that she was not under house arrest.Babul Chowdhury 's lawyer Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia told reporters that he would appeal to court seeking a final hearing on the petition.

A lawyer Thursday filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of the reported house arrest of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

Advocate Abdul Wadud Khondoker of the Supreme Court filed the petition seeking court orders to free Khaleda from "house arrest", allow her to see relatives, friends and lawyers and not to force her to leave the country. On April 25, the home ministry issued a circular denying pressure on the BNP chairperson.'