Court intervenes in Zia's 'house arrest'

Reports say she may be exiled to Saudi Arabia.

Bangladesh's High Court today asked the military-backed interim government to explain within five days why the authorities should not be ordered to bring former Premier Khaleda Zia before the court and to give in writing whether she was under house arrest.

A Bench comprising Justice Abdul Wahhab Mia and Justice Emdadul Haque gave the direction after hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Babul Chowdhury, who identified himself as a member of one of the front organisations of Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

The petitioner alleged that Zia had been put under "house arrest" by the government and was being forced to leave the emergency-ruled country.

"The law will take its own course if she is forced out of the country," the Bench said. The court also asked Additional Attorney General Salahuddin Ahmed to explain "in writing" Zia's status after he told the Bench she had not been put under house arrest.

The petitioner also alleged that Zia was not allowed to receive visitors, her telephones had been disconnected and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko was detained at an undisclosed location for 24 hours to force her to leave the country.

The High Court, which had partly heard the case on Thursday, said the government should come up in "black and white" as to whether Zia was being kept under house arrest.

According to reports, Zia was expected to be exiled to Saudi Arabia by the military-backed interim government, a day after her arch rival Sheikh Hasina vowed to return home defying a ban.

Newsmen kept overnight vigil at Dhaka's Zia International Airport as official sources and reports said Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Zia was set out for exile "anytime" to Saudi Arabia after she met her detained elder son Tarique Rahman at an undisclosed location yesterday.