The reply to the legal notice served by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be given through legal procedures, Law Minister Anisul Huq today said.

“Legal notice is a legal procedure. We are yet to receive the legal notice (of Khaleda Zia). After receiving it, we will discuss it and then we will give its reply through legal way,” he said.

The minister was speaking to reporters after attending as the chief guest at the 15th session of the Child Parliament on stopping violence against children at LGED auditorium in Dhaka’s Agargaon.

Khaleda served a legal notice to PM Hasina yesterday seeking the premier’s apology over making “malicious and defamatory” remarks about her (Khaleda) alleged assets abroad.

In the notice, Khaleda demanded that Hasina would have to apologise “unconditionally” and publicise it within 30 days of receiving the notice.

“Or else, the BNP chairperson will take measures to file a defamation suit against the prime minister, demanding compensations for damaging her reputation and image,” it said.

Earlier on December 7, PM Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, at a press conference at the Gonobhaban, expressed displeasure that the mainstream media did not run any report on the BNP chief and her family members' reported assets and investments in Saudi Arabia and other countries.

Some media outlets ran reports that an anti-corruption probe in Saudi Arabia revealed that Khaleda and her family members have assets in that country, attributing those to “Global Intelligence Network” and “Canadian TV channel The National”.