DHAKA, April 29: Bangladesh's High Court on Sunday refused to accept a petition asking police not to arrest or harass former prime minister Sheikh Hasina when she returns home next week, her lawyer said.

The petition sought to forestall Sheikh Hasina's arrest until she appears before a court, Alam added.

The court asked her to obtain the necessary documents to move the petition, he said.

Sheikh Hasina plans to fly home next week from the United Kingdom after the military-backed government appeared to back away from efforts to keep her in exile.

The administration barred Sheikh Hasina, the country's premier from 1996 to 2001, from returning from holiday earlier this month while she was in the United States.

The authorities had also been trying to force out Sheikh Hasina's main rival, Khaleda Zia, the country's last prime minister and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Both Hasina and Khaleda are accused of corruption, political violence and misrule that led to a major crisis in January, which saw elections cancelled and a state of emergency imposed.

The interim government appeared to drop its exile plans for the two women earlier this week.—AFP