The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Detained former Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday demanded of the Government to hold the general elections within April, two months ahead of her party’s call for polls within July this year.

She made the demand while talking to her lawyers, including Awami League (AL) leaders, inside the Court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge, which framed charges against her in a Tk 3 crore extortion case.

Hold the general elections within March or April since there is possibility of rains during June and July period,” Sheikh Hasina was quoted by AL Presidium member Suranjit Sengupta as having said to her lawyers in the Court during the trial.

The AL President made the demand a day after the announcement made by Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on Saturday that his Government was in favour of holding the general elections much before December, the last timeframe as per the polls-roadmap of the Election Commission (EC), if possible.

As per the roadmap, announced earlier by the EC, the general election would be held within December this year (2008). The preparation of ongoing voters’ list with photograph is expected to be complete by June, as per the EC’s plan.

Suranjit Sengupta, who was present in the Court during the hearing as a lawyer, made Sheikh Hasina’s demand public while talking to journalists after the trial on the premises of Parliament building complex at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

He said Sheikh Hasina also urged the people to fight for the restoration of democracy.

Her senior counsel Barrister Shafique Ahmed, who argued for the AL President during the trial, confirmed that Sheikh Hasina made the demand that was disclosed by the AL Presidium member.

“Demanding the election in March or April, Sheikh Hasina has directed the Awami League leaders to participate in the polls even without her,” Barrister Sahfque Ahmed said adding, “She was in jovial mood during the trial.”

“She recited a line of a famous poem of the Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, when asked as to why she was so cheerful,” he said adding that the line of the poem reads, “ I laugh, the laugher of flower sitting on the fire of hell.”

A veteran Parliamentarian of the country, Suranjit Sengupta, however, did not explain as to how the general election would be held by April without a complete voters’ list with photograph, which the AL had demanded first in 2006.

Justifying Sheikh Hasina’s demand, AL Acting President Zillur Rahman urged the Election Commission to announce the schedule of the election, pending the preparation of the voters’ list, which, he termed, “ A continuous process.”