HC issues rule on govt over detention of Tarique, Hannan

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The High Court (HC) Sunday issued rule asking the government to explain why the orders of detention against Tarique Rahman, senior joint secretary general of BNP, and detained party chairperson Khaleda Zia's adviser Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah should not be declared illegal, reports UNB.
A division bench, comprising Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Justice M Abu Tariq, passed the orders following separate petitions filed by the two high-profile detainees challenging the validity of their detention under the Special Powers Act (SPA).
"The rule is made returnable in a week," says the identical court order.
Tarique, Khaleda Zia's eldest son, is facing a series of corruption cases following his arrest on March 7 under a crackdown launched in the interim period. Later, the government served him detention order under the SPA.
On November 25, Hannan Shah was served a 30-day detention order in jail following his arrest for a second time during the ongoing drive. Earlier, he secured interim bail from the HC on November 22 in connection with the case of breaking the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) and assault on a top party dissident leader, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, on November 7.