Khaleda’s Release: Law ministry to decide on family’s plea
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said the law ministry will take further steps regarding BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's appeal for her "temporary" release from jail.
"Khaleda's family placed an appeal over her health issue. We sent it to the law ministry for their opinion and the ministry will take further steps in this regard," said the minister, in reply to a journalist's query about Khaleda's family's appeal to the home ministry seeking her "temporary" release.
Asaduzzaman said, "The home ministry does not have the power to release her [Khaleda]. It needs to take legal support and go to court to release her."
On Sunday, BNP's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters that party chairperson Khaleda Zia's family members had applied to the home ministry for her "temporary" release.
Khaleda, who is now in the prison ward of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, has been in jail since she was convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. She was found guilty in another graft case later the same year.
Regarding law ministry's steps, the home minister further said, "The law ministry and us, neither will be able to go beyond the law. We have sent her [Khaleda's] appeal for legal opinion. But the actions must be taken through the judicial process and nothing will be done beyond it."
HAJJ SERVICE BOOTH IN ALL REGIONAL PASSPORT OFFICES
The home minister was addressing reporters after the inauguration of the Hajj Service Booth 2020 at the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) in the capital's Agargaon.
DIP Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed presided over the inauguration ceremony.
DG Shakil Ahmed said they are launching the Hajj service booth in all regional passport offices across the country to facilitate arrangements for hajj aspirants.
There will be a designated person in every service booth and hajj aspirants will get all passport-related facilities from a single place, said the DG.
Every hajj aspirant will be provided a special card after their passport enrolment and any family member or relative will be able to collect the passport using the card on behalf of applicant, he said.
"We need to ensure our best services to them so that they can get their passports in due time," added the director general.
Addressing the programme, Md Nurul Islam, secretary of religion affairs ministry, said they have analysed the database of hajj aspirants and found that every year, around 50 percent of total hajj aspirants need to submit applications for new passports.
The special initiatives of passport authority will boost the hajj aspirants to perform the holy prayer, added the secretary.
After the inauguration ceremony, the home minister handed over passports to six hajj aspirants.
Regarding the service booth, DIP DG Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed said they are planning to keep the booth running round the year. Once the hajj season is over, the service desk will be used to provide services for physically less able passport applicants, he added.
Public Security Division Senior Secretary Mostofa Kamal Uddin, Md Shahiduzzaman, secretary of security service division of the home ministry and Md Nurul Islam, secretary of religion affairs ministry, were present at the ceremony as special guests.
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