M.A. Kader-Our Correspondent in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 04 May (Asiantribune.com): A third bench of High Court on Sunday admitted the writ petition of BNP chief Khaleda Zia for ruling out the government notice that ordered her to vacate the Dhaka Cantonment house.
The bench of justices Zinnat Ara Sultana and Abdul Hakim adjourned hearing until next Sunday on attorney general Mahbubey Alam's assurance that the opposition leader would not be harassed.
However, two benches felt embarrassed to hear the petition, earlier.
The bench of justices Syed Mahmud Hossain and Kamrul Islam Siddiqui was the second to decline a hearing.
The bench of justices Tariqul Hakim and M Azizul Haque that had permitted the lawyers for opposition leader to submit an affidavit prior to filing the writ appeal felt embarrassed in hearing the appeal. Then It asked the lawyers to go to another bench.
Khaleda's lawyers had filed the writ appeal at 1:30pm yesterday with the first bench to overturn the April 20 notice served by the military lands and cantonments directorate.
Military lands and cantonments directorate served Khaleda the notice on April 20 asking her to vacate her cantonment house within 15 days. Tuesday was the deadline to leave the house but Khaleda is not obligated to do so pending appeal.
The cabinet on April 8 cancelled the lease on the house on grounds that the leasing process had been faulty and she violated lease terms.
Three days later Khaleda responded with a legal notice of her own on the government, asking it to withdraw the notice by Tuesday.
The legal notice sent by Khaleda's lawyers said that then the president had allotted Khaleda the house on a yearly rent basis after the assassination of army chief-turned-president Ziaur Rahman on May 30, 1981.
The house was registered on July 13, 1981 and Khaleda along with her family members had been residing at this house for over 27 years, said the notice.
Therefore, it was illegal in the eye of law to be asked to vacate the house by serving a notice, it said.
The notice also said that Khaleda would take further legal steps unless the government notice was withdrawn.
The cabinet on April 8 cancelled the lease on Khaleda's cantonment house saying it was not legal to allocate one person the lease of two houses simultaneously.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina earlier requested the opposition chief in parliament to leave the house for building flats for the army officers slain in the February 25-26 BDR mutiny.
-Asian Tribune-
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