A lawyer for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directive on the jail authorities to provide vokalatnama with the lawyers for taking legal steps against the cases filed against her.

A vokalatnama is a document in writing, appointing a lawyer to represent the client's matter in a court.

Barrister Kayser Kamal, also legal affairs secretary of BNP, submitted the petition praying to the HC to issue a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the jail authorities’ refusal to provide them with Khaleda Zia’s vokalatnama should not be declared illegal.

Citing from the petition, Kayser Kamal told The Daily Star that they have requested the jail authorities to give them Khaleda Zia’s vokalatnama after she landed in jail on February 8 so that they can take legal steps over the cases filed against her in and around Dhaka.

But, the jail authorities refused to provide the lawyers with the vokalatnama of Khaleda Zia, he said.

The lawyer also said he has recently sent a legal notice to the jail authorities requesting them to give them vokalatnama, but the jail authorities did not make any response.

Home secretary, inspector general of prisons, deputy inspector general of prisons concerned and jail super of Dhaka central jail have been mentioned as the respondents to the rule required in the petition, Barrister Kayser added.

He also said the HC may hold hearing on the petition next week.

Khaleda Zia was sent to jail after a Dhaka court on February 8 convicted and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.