The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Detained Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday alleged that she is being denied justice and fundamental rights as a citizen of the country.

Her lawyer Advocate Toufique Newaz made her statement public after his meeting with the former Prime Minister at the Special Jail on the premises of the Sangshad Bhaban (Parliament Building) Complex.

Sheikh Hasina made this comment apparently irked by a recent judgment of a High Court Division Bench of the Supreme Court, which said, she would have to face trial in the lower court in Mid-29 scam case.

About denial of her civic rights, Advocate Toufique Newaz said, " The detained Awami League President has the legal right to talk with her relatives over telephone."

He claimed, "According to the jail code, a detained person can talk over the telephone. We have informed the jail authorities of this."

Advocate Newaz, however, did not cite the exact section of the Jail Code, which provided for the prisoners to talk to their relatives abroad over telephone.

He also refrained from citing a precedence of such talks.

When asked, Advocate Newaz said, "The relationship the Awami League president and I have is that of a lawyer and his client Therefore, most of what we talked about is 'privileged information' which I cannot divulge."

"I can only say we discussed whether she was receiving her constitutional rights. Things are currently happening which are not consistent with the Constitution. Many flaws remain in the process," he claimed.

Advocate Newaz demanded of the authorities concerned that he should be given more time to discuss Sheikh Hasina's cases.