The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Detained immediate-past premier and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia had one-to-one parley with her secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain in the courtroom on Sunday when she gave him directives for dealing with the prevailing situation in the interim period.

The exclusive talk lasted 20 minutes. Earlier, the court granted Khaleda's lawyers 40 minutes for legal consultation after she appeared in the special court, for the first time since her arrest, to stand trial in a graft case. Khandaker Delwar went to the court as one of her lawyers.

"I'd long discussion with her but I don't want to disclose what guidelines she gave me. You will know the guidelines gradually through our party's next programs," Delwar said at a discussion marking President Zia's death anniversary at the Engineers Institution.

However, he said the BNP chairperson gave a call for uniting all nationalist forces irrespective of party affiliation. Begum Zia felt the necessity of unity to face the prevailing "disastrous socioeconomic condition".

Delwar said Begum Zia called for the unity to implement any program and launch movement to save the situation the country is in.

Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Sunday demanded general election in October and lifting of the state of emergency within the current month to create congenial atmosphere for the polls.

In her first appearance in a special court after nine months of her arrest in connection with the Niko scam case, she called for holding credible elections wherein all parties and political leaders could participate.

Begum Zia called as mala fide the intention of holding any local bodies' election before the parliamentary polls.

"Give up the plus minus accounting. Think over how to hold free and fair elections," she said, adding "it's not 1/11, rather 11/1 to split up political parties."

Khaleda said: "The situation in the country is very bad. People are starving, committing suicide. Students keeping aside their studies are standing in queue to get rice. People are scrambling for water, gas and electricity. But the government has no attention towards all these."

Khaleda, who ruled the country twice as the Prime Minister since 1991, alleged that the caretaker government in its 16 months' rule has pushed back the country by 30 years.

In her hard-hitting 18-minute speech, the BNP chairperson said the country cannot be run by 'dalal, falal' (sycophants). "The government is trying to cling to power backed by different forces."

She said: "This government ruins Bangladesh under a conspiracy, making the country dysfunctional. And for this, the government will have to stand in the dock and give answer to the people."

Khaleda said trade and business have slowed down, while the country is losing labour markets abroad. Instead of resolving the problems, the government has cracked down on political leaders and workers.

She called for unity among all political parties including BNP to save the people from the helpless situation.

Begum Zia, arrested on September 3 last year in connection with GATCO graft case, termed the cases filed against her as false, baseless, concocted and malicious to destroy the nationalist forces.

"Not only against me, cases were filed against my family members for harassment… we didn't commit any wrong, but we are being implicated on corruption charges," she said.

She mentioned that she had waged movement for nine years for restoring democracy in the country.

On anti-corruption drive, Begum Zia said it is aimed at arresting key leaders of political parties, but "those who actually committed corruption are sitting on the lap of the government… we've been put in the dock for our good deeds."

Demanding an 'open trial' in the case instead of what she called 'camera trial', she alleged that the trial process is not being conducted under the laws of the land. "My lawyers are not allowed to meet me for consultations. I seek justice from the court," Khaleda said.

Referring to the separation of the judiciary from the executive, the former Prime Minister told the court that her government had introduced the separation of the judiciary bill in parliament.

She, however, said that although it is being stated that the judiciary has become independent, but the "judges are functioning on dictations… where is the independence of the judiciary?"

Khaleda claimed that the judiciary enjoyed more independence during her rule. She urged the court to give judgment in the case independently.

Khaleda, wearing a white chiffon saree and black sunglasses, looked confident as she entered the courtroom at about 11:15 am. She waved hands to lawyers and journalists with her usual smile.

Judge Khandaker Kamal Uzzaman set June 8 for charge hearing in the case as defence lawyers prayed for time on the plea that they could not yet browse the FIR and charge sheet in the case.

On a prayer, the court allowed the defence lawyers 40 minutes instead of one hour for legal consultations with Begum Zia.

Five lawyers-Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Abdur Rezzaque Khan, Sanaullah Mia, Khorshed Alam and Masud Talukdar-went to another room for the consultations with Khaleda Zia.

Earlier, Khaleda Zia, ex-Law Minister Barrister Maudud Ahmed, ex-State Minister for Energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former acting Energy Secretary Shahidul Islam, One Group's managing director Gias Uddin Al Mamun, International Travel Corporation chairman Selim Bhuiyan, former secretary of BAPEX Shafiur Rahman, and ex-director of BAPEX Mainul Huq were brought to the high security special court in the parliament complex amid tight security.