Due process to be followed to arrest Khaleda Zia: Awami League

Bangladesh's ruling party Awami League on Tuesday said "proper legal procedure" will be followed for the arrest of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

Party spokesperson Mahbub-Ul Alam Hanif, who is also the joint general secretary, said in a programme in Chandpur district that they expected law enforcers to complete due process and arrest her at the appropriate time, bdnews24.com reported.

The warrant for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief was issued last week after she failed to appear in the hearing of Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases on successive dates.

She has been staying in her office for two months since calling for indefinite strike from January 5 demanding interim polls under a non-partisan government.

A Dhaka court issued a warrant to search the Gulshan office by police earlier this week as there could be explosives and wanted people hiding inside.

There were rumours that the BNP chief can be picked up Wednesday when the next hearing of the cases is scheduled.

A number of Awami League leaders, including ministers, urged Khaleda Zia to attend Wednesday's hearing. But her lawyers hinted that she might not attend it.

They appealed to the court on Tuesday for withdrawal of the warrant claiming that Khaleda Zia could not come to the court as there were "security issues".