"If the government signs any agreement to send troops to Iraq, that would be a violation of the constitution, Army Act and the United Nations charter," said the legal notice served by Farhad Mazhar and Farida Akhtar on Wednesday night.

Advocate Asaduzzaman, counsel for the HR activists, told The Daily Star yesterday, "If the government does not refrain from signing any such agreement, we will file a writ with the High Court to protest the violation of the constitution."

The legal notice was sent to the Prime Minister's Office and secretaries of the cabinet division, defence ministry and foreign ministry.

The officials are also asked to inform them about the matter within three days of receipt of the notice.

The legal notice said they came to know that during the visit of the US defence secretary an agreement would be signed to send troops to Iraq outside the umbrella of the United Nations.

The Army Act 1952 also does not authorise the government to send troops to Iraq, the notice added.

As a signatory to International Criminal Court (ICC), Bangladesh cannot send its troops as the civil societies across the world accused the occupation soldiers in Iraq of war crimes, said Advocate Asaduzzaman.

If Bangladeshi troops join the occupation forces, anyone can file case with the ICC accusing them of war crimes, he added.