DHAKA (AFP) -- Bangladesh's military-backed government has severely restricted the freedom of former prime minister Khaleda Zia hours after she warned the country was at a "crossroads," media reports said Wednesday.

With the country under emergency rule since January, law-enforcing agencies had imposed the ban on Zia meeting anyone except "four designated persons," the private UNB news agency said.

"Those who can meet with Khaleda (Zia) are her younger brother Sayeed Iskander and his wife, Khaleda's personal physician and former MP Mushfiqur Rahman," UNB said. The ban was reported just hours after the head of the previous government warned Bangladesh was at a "crossroads" and called for "unity."

Zia, who lives inside Dhaka's military cantonment, issued a statement late Tuesday saying: "As a nation, each decision at this moment is very important, because I firmly believe our present decisions will determine whether we will open a new chapter in our immense potential or plunge into darkness.

"I urge all who are running the government to take every decision with wisdom and vision," she said calling on the government not to be "biased" and "vindictive".

"Our beloved motherland has come to a crossroads," she said. "National security and sovereignty has become a more significant issue surpassing individual, family, party, corruption and good governance matters."

Zia also urged the government to include politicians in the ongoing reform programs and not to consider them "opponents".

Hours after carrying Zia's statement, UNB withdrew it on the advice of the official Press Information Department which along with the armed forces also told newspapers not to carry the report.

Bangladesh has been under a military-backed government since the start of the year, when polls scheduled for January 22 were cancelled and a state of emergency enforced.

The government has curbed freedom of speech and banned politics. It has also launched a nationwide crackdown to clean up politics.

At least 50 top politicians have been arrested including Zia's once influential Tareque Rahman.

On Monday the Bangladeshi chief executive officer of a Malaysian-owned company filed an extortion case against the leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina Wajed.

Hasina will return home on April 14 to face the charges, her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told AFP Wednesday.

However several newspapers reported that she would not come back to avoid arrest.

Zia could also be sent into exile as part of the government's move to clean up politics, several dailies said Tuesday.