DHAKA, Feb 8: The High Court of Bangladesh on Thursday issued separate rules on the government to explain within 10 days the legality of the detention of six leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Awami League.A High Court bench of Justice M.A. Wahhab Mian and Justice M. Emdadul Huq issued the rules, asking the government to explain why it would not be directed to produce the detained leaders before the court to demonstrate that they were not being held illegally.

The court passed the orders after hearing separate habeas corpus writ petitions filed by close relations of the detainees -— former home minister of Awami League government Mohammad Nasim, Awami League leader and businessman Salman F. Rahman, former environment minister of alliance government Tariqul Islam, Khaleda Zia’s former adviser on parliamentary affairs Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, former state minister for labour Amanullah Aman, and former BNP lawmaker Mosaddek Ali Falu.

The attorney-general, Fida M. Kamal, however, challenged the maintainability of the habeas corpus writ petitions.

The habeas corpus writ petitions were filed under Section 491 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Section 491(3) of the CrPC stipulates that no habeas corpus writ will apply to a person detained under any law providing for preventive detention.