Follow due process in dealing with detained Hasina: UK HC

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Communications Adviser MA Matin Tuesday said anti-corruption taskforces had nothing to do with the extortion case filed against Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, reports bdnews24.com/UNB.
The adviser, also chairman of the national coordination committee on serious crimes, faced reporters Tuesday, a day after Hasina was arrested.
"It's up to the home ministry to issue a legal interpretation for detaining Sheikh Hasina," Matin told the reporters after attending a workshop on 'Improving Port Efficiency' at Hotel Purbani.
Asked whether the legal process in issuing an arrest warrant was followed by the court in Hasina's case, the adviser said he personally had no knowledge of the legal procedures involved in such a case.
"The legal issues should be clarified by the home ministry," he reiterated.
Security forces arrested the former prime minister at her Sudha Sadan home in a predawn raid Monday in an extortion case. Within hours, a Dhaka court rejected a prayer for bail and sent her to jail.
Meanwhile, former prime minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina is in good health in the sub-jail in the parliament-building complex, prison authorities said a day after she was taken in.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (Prisons) told the news agency that the AL chief was "well" and she had "no health complaints."
A medical officer of jail, Ahsan Habib, checked her health Monday night and was to do another checkup Tuesday evening.
Five prison guards and seven women workers are on the second floor while RAB and police remain on guard on the ground floor of the sub-jail.
Haider said Hasina passed her time by praying, reading political and religious books and newspapers. If she wanted, she could watch only BTV, but she would not be allowed to use mobile phone.
In another development, British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury Tuesday urged the caretaker government to follow the due process to the letter in dealing with Sheikh Hasina in custody and make sure all assistance is given to the former Prime Minister within the process.
"This is a significant event since she was the former Prime Minister and these are also serious charges," he told reporters at state guesthouse Padma, commenting on Hasina's arrest.
The envoy noted what is important here is that in the case of anybody charged with such crime evidence and due process must be ensured. He hoped that the case against Hasina should be solved quickly, but within the process.
In reply to a question, he said if the government follows due process in dealing with corruption, most people would accept that and people would not go for breaking law.
Appreciating government's anti-corruption drive, Choudhury said he thought the government had been fairly consistent on corruption in last six months.
The Bangladeshi-origin envoy mentioned the government-declared ambitions to make a better Bangladesh with sustained development through combating corruption and hoped that they would adhere to their principles without any deviation.
Choudhury appreciated the Election Commission's roadmap as well as the CEC's remarks that the election could be arranged earlier should the voters' list be completed before the deadline of October next year.