DHAKA, 25 April 2007 — Lawyers of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina Wajed filed an appeal yesterday in the high court against an official ban on her return to the country, saying the attempt to keep her out is unconstitutional, a counsel said.
The lawyers, representing Hasina who is now in London, filed the petition, her lawyer Shafique Ahmed told reporters in the capital, Dhaka.
A two-member panel of judges set Sunday to decide if the petition would be accepted for further hearing, Ahmed said.
Hasina has been unable to fly home because she was denied a boarding pass Sunday by British Airways at London’s Heathrow Airport in response to a request from Bangladesh’s military-backed government.
Meanwhile, another former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was denied visa by a number of Gulf countries complicating a plan by the interim government to exile her.
Khaleda’s adviser retired Brig. Gen. Shah Abdul Hannan told newsmen in Dhaka yesterday that the former premier was not interested in leaving the country. She has told the government she would not leave the country, he said.
The New Age and the News Today newspapers reported that the Gulf embassies in Dhaka refused to grant her visas because they were not convinced that Khaleda was leaving the country of her own will.
Bangladesh’s military-led interim government says it is hopeful of holding general elections before the end of next year, but media reports have said the administration wants to flush out Khaleda and Hasina to ease tensions before the polls.
A group of prominent personalities such as university teachers, journalists and leading cultural activists said in a statement that they oppose any attempt by the government to exile Khaleda or Hasina.
