
Bangladesh High Court on Sunday refused to accept former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina8217;s petition, seeking protection against 8220;arrest or harassment8221;, on technical grounds as her counsel did not have an 8220;authorised8221; power of attorney, court officials said.
A High Court bench comprising judges Shah Abu Naim Mominur Rahman and Zubair Rahman Chowdhury declined to accept the petition saying the power of attorney of Advocate Manjil Faruque was not 8220;duly authorised8221;.
The petition sought the court protection against the 8220;arrest or harassment8221; of Hasina, now in London.
Her lawyer tried to file the petition days after the interim government in emergency-ruled Bangladesh lifted a temporary ban on her return. The ban was imposed as the authorities feared that her 8220;provocative and inflammatory8221; remarks could destabilise the situation.
Hasina was also faced with a 8220;murder8221; charge involving a political clash last year and a graft case filed respectively by fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and a businessman last month.