The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Detained former premier Sheikh Hasina's lawyers yesterday termed the statement of the IG (Prisons) to the media on her discharge from the Square Hospital "untrue, baseless, concocted and motivated", claiming that she was whisked away to her trial court.

'The behaviour meted out by the jail authorities to the daughter of the father of the nation and president of the largest political party Awami League that led the War of Liberation is unpardonable," says a joint press statement by Barrister Shafique Ahmed, Adv Shahara Khatun and Adv Qamrul Islam.

They said the whole nation is aggrieved at such 'inhuman' behaviour and the public anger against it cannot be defused through "falsehood".

On March 11 when she was admitted to the Square Hospital, the lawyers said Vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof Dr Mohammad Tahir along with six other specialized physicians examined her and observed that her treatment of damaged ears is not possible at any place other than America.

The lawyers deplored that it is a painful fact that after March 11 no specialist physician was allowed to examine her. They said due to 'unseen interference' her personal physicians and the doctor under whom she was admitted at the hospital were not given access to her hospital cabin.

They pointed out that 25 percent of her left-eye vision was already damaged and she lost totally the hearing in her right ear while her left ear is gradually losing the hearing power following the grenade attacks on her public rally on August 21, 2004.

Quoting doctors, the Hasina counsel said although the allergy problem and instable blood pressure are causing different new symptoms, she is not being given appropriate treatment. Besides, she has developed a growth in her thyroid gland.

They said Hasina was discharged 'on request' from the hospital on March 30 and "dragged" to the court.

The panel of lawyers alleged that despite court orders, they had not been allowed to meet Hasina for long to consult about the cases against her. It was only on March 29 that they got the permission to meet her at the hospital.

"We did not meet Sheikh Hasina on any mission to convince her to appear before the court," the lawyers said, adding, "On that day her health condition was so bad that we had to meet her at her hospital cabin instead of guestroom."

After the meeting, the lawyers requested the DIG (Prisons) to arrange specialist physicians to examine her and complete all medical tests quickly.

Barrister Shafique also assured the DIG (Prisons) that he would explain in detail her health condition to the court and request the court to see its previous order about her appearance before the court leniently.

On March 30, they said, Hasina was discharged on request from the

hospital and produced before the court "forcibly", which was narrated

by Hasina herself at the court.

They alleged that a "heinous conspiracy is on to politicize her treatment process by remote control, which is now crystal clear to the people".

The IG (Prisons) is "playing like a puppet under remote control of the unseen quarters", the troika counsel alleged.

The lawyers urged the authorities to refrain from what they called falsehoods and arrange Hasina's proper treatment. Otherwise, they said, the authorities concerned would be held responsible if anything (wrong) happened to Hasina.