Khaleda Zia sends legal notice to 5 including Home Secretary

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia on Tuesday sent legal notices to five persons, including the Home Secretary, for not allowing her to sign the power of attorney.

Khaleda's lawyer Barrister Kayser Kamal sent the notice to the Home Secretary, Dhaka Deputy Commissioner, Inspector General of Police, Inspector General of Prisons and the superintendent of Keraniganj Central Jail, UNB reports.

The notice warns of legal actions if Khaleda is not allowed to sign her power of attorney within 48 hours.

Kamal said, “On June 19 last, we sent a power of attorney letter seeking the signature of Khaleda Zia but it was not given to her. It’s a violation of the constitutional rights of a prisoner.”

He said they cannot take any step as they do not have the power of attorney signed by the former prime minister.

The BNP chief has been in jail since February 8 last year after a subordinate court found her guilty of corruption. Her five-year sentence was later doubled. The three-time prime minister was also convicted in a separate corruption case later that year.

Her party claims the cases are politically motivated and that the government is trying to keep her away from politics – charges the government denies. The BNP contested the last general election without her and won only six seats in the 300-member assembly.