Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have refused to allow BangladeshÂ’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia into their countries, complicating a plan by BangladeshÂ’s government to exile her, news reports said on Tuesday. | How |
The government also tried to convince Kuwait and Qatar to take Zia but those attempts also have failed, the News Today report said. The New Age daily said the Saudi embassy wants Zia to be present in person to confirm that she plans to enter the kingdom willingly.
Meanwhile, a group of prominent Bangladeshi personalities such as university teachers, journalists and leading cultural activists said in a statement that they oppose any attempt by the government to exile Zia or Hasina. “Taking away the fundamental rights of political leaders can’t pave the way for establishing democracy,” the statement said.
| But it can get the trouble-makers out of the way ... |
On Tuesday, HasinaÂ’s lawyers moved to file an appeal in the High Court against the ban on her return to the country, saying the attempt to keep her out is unconstitutional, her lawyer Shafique Ahmed said. A two-member panel of judges set Sunday to decide if the petition would be accepted for further hearing, Ahmed said.