The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Reiterating her apprehension that she would not get justice, for what she claimed, official conspiracy to disqualify her in the election, detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the Government was trying to hold hurried trial to punish her in "false graft cases".

Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the Awami League (AL), expressed gratitude to the people for putting their signature on the mass petition, submitted to the Chief Adviser, demanding her unconditional release. She also thanked her party leaders and activists for organising the signature-campaign.

She said this, while talking to lawyers yesterday morning, when she was attending a special court that was scheduled to hold charge hearing in the Barge Mounted scam case against her and other co-accused.

Disclosing this after the Court's sitting, Barrister Sahfiq Ahmed, the top counsel for Sheikh Hasina, said the corruption charge against the former Prime Minister was not maintainable as per certain sections of the CrPC since the case was framed 10 years after the occurrence of the incident.

"Sheikh Hasina renewed her hope to contest the general elections and lead her party's campaign as a free citizen if she gets justice in the on going trial," said Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, who is also a counsel for her.

"She said those responsible for making her life miserable through the detention on baseless corruption charges would have to repent to her someday for, what she termed, their misdeeds" he added.

He quoted the former Prime Minister as saying, "They must keep in mind I am the daughter of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I did not commit any wrong during my rule."

"She said since Almighty Allah is with her, nobody can disregard peoples' expressed confidence in me," said Mannan Khan, who is also the central Office Secretary of the AL, quoting Sheikh Hasina as saying, "I must contest the elections. I hope people will elect me again to serve the country."

Barrister Shahfiq Ahmed further alleged that the prosecution did not submit before the Court all the case-documents, including reports of the tender evaluation committee and the technical committee, in order to misguide the judge in an attempt to maneouvre a judgement.

"The reports proved that those firms, which quoted the lowest construction cost, were awarded the Barge Mounted Plant contract and the former Prime Minister helped the nation save over Tk 300 crore," he claimed.

Denying the allegation, prosecution lawyer Advocate Shahim Ahsan Habib said, "The defence side was trying to delay the trial purposefully and everytime they attend the Court without consulting the documents that we have submitted before the judge earlier."

He said they would also submit the reports of the Technical Committee and the Evaluation Committee before the Court as the judge asked for that.

Meanwhile, the arraignment hearing on the Barge-mounted Power-plant Scam case was adjourned until May 12 following the submissions made by the counsel for Sheikh Hasina's co-accused Dr Toufique-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy, seeking for relieving his client from charge.