The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

A lawyer of Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, now in Washington, reacted angrily to Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain's comment on her release and called him a mystery man in Bangladesh's politics.

In a more vitriolic attack, Advocate Kamrul Islam called the eminent jurist-turned politician 'madcap'.

"Dr Kamal like all other lawyers should know well under which legal process Awami League president Sheikh Hasina was released. But it is unfortunate that he is repeatedly issuing statements like a madcap, which is a manifestation of his immaturity," the Hasina counsel said in a press statement yesterday.

Kamrul Islam said the government can free any person under trial by executive order as per section 4(A) of the clause no 401 of the criminal procedure act. And the court exempted Sheikh Hasina from personal presence before court as per provision 540(A) of the act.

"In fact, Dr Kamal Hossain is a mysterious person in the country's politics," said Kamrul, also the acting general secretary of Dhaka city AL, in the rebuttal in which he looked far back into Dr Kamal's political career.

Returning from abroad in the late 60s and getting close to Bangabandhu, arrest drama with the Pak force in 1971, coming back home with Bangabandhu on January 10 in 1972, staying abroad in 1975 and playing a puzzling role, pushing AL into election in 1986 and at last leaving AL in 1990 prove that he is a "mystery man", Kamrul said.

"But, after the 1/11 changeover, the mysterious person has appeared with his real face and is now dreaming to go to power," he said about Dr Kamal, who was a foreign minister of the post-liberation Awami League government.

Kamrul observed that following the release of Sheikh Hasina, an overall change has come to the country's political scenario. "Dr Kamal's dream was dashed like the dream of a hunch-back man who wants to sleep flat on bed," he said.

He further observed that Dr Kamal, who all his life represents the elite class, should know that all political leaders are not corrupt.

The lawyer-politician posed a question as to how much money Dr Kamal has paid in tax though he earned "crores of taka" as a lawyer.