The Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Read More speech from Jillur rahman ::
http://www.ittefaq.com/content/2008/06/04/news0175.htm

Quotes by Sheikh Hasina
“This is a false charge and politically motivated. It was filed only to destroy my political career,” Hasina told the court.

May 18, 2008 Reuters India

“In just 10 days, 25 lakh people in the capital have signed for my release. It proves that people are with me. So, I will definitely take part in the general election,” Hasina told the lawyer.

May 4, 2008 Hindu

“I urge my countrymen to remain alert against any conspiracy to delay the election,” Hasina told lawyers and reporters during a court appearance on Sunday.

May 4, 2008 Reuters India

“When votes had to be recounted in the SCBA election on allegations of rigging, how can we expect that the parliamentary election would be transparent and neutral? The people must be careful to ensure a transparent and neutral election,” Hasina told her…

May 5, 2008 The Statesman

“No one except Allah and the people of Bangladesh has the authority to decide whether I will participate in the election or not. The people will decide whether I am a corrupt or not,” she said.

May 5, 2008 The Statesman

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Quotes by Sheikh Hasina
http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINDHA3682220080518

The High Court is likely to deliver a ruling Thursday on a writ petition filed by Sheikh Hasina challenging the proceeding of the barge-mounted power plant case against her, a lawyer said Wednesday.

The High Court bench of justices MA Rashid and Md Ashfaqul Islam concluded their hearing of the petition Wednesday but did not fix a date for their ruling, said Hasina’s counsel Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapash.

“The verdict may be delivered Thursday.”

The detained former prime minister filed the petition on May 11 challenging the proceedings on the grounds that the case had not been disposed of within 60 days as prescribed by law.

The High Court had earlier ordered the government, Anticorruption Commission and Dhaka Special Judge’s Court -1 to explain why the delay, and why continued proceedings of the case should not be declared illegal, but did not stay the trial.

The case is currently under trial at the Special Judge’s Court-1, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises.

According to law, trial of a case should be normally completed within 60 days of the court taking the charges into cognisance.

The court accepted the charge sheet on Jan 10, while charge framing against Hasina and other accused in the case was concluded on May 18.

The Anticorruption Commission filed the case on Sept 2 last year charging Hasina and others with taking bribes in return for allowing installation of three barge-mounted power plants in Haripur, Shikalbaha and Khulna during her term as prime minister.

The case was brought under emergency powers rules on Sept 20 last year. Joint forces arrested Hasina on July 16 last year and she was shown arrested in the case on Sept 19.

http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINDHA3682220080518

The Awami League will notify the chief adviser officially in a day or two of its decision to boycott the ongoing political dialogue in the absence of detained party president Sheikh Hasina, said a senior AL leader Wednesday.

Corrected “Only if Sheikh Hasina is freed unconditionally will the AL executive council meet under her leadership and decide the issue of joining the dialogue,” the party’s acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said, as a two-day meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee wrapped up Wednesday.

Trashing the idea of releasing Hasina on parole to attend the dialogue, Ashraf said: “We want a free Hasina to lead us to the dialogue.”

The ALCWC meeting also announced a countrywide mass signature campaign to be conducted from June 7 through June 30 demanding Hasina’s unconditional release.

The ALCWC decided Tuesday not to join government dialogue without their party chief, a move likely to put a question mark on ongoing political talks.

The meeting also endorsed most other recommendations made by district AL leaders at the party’s crucial extended meeting on Monday.

http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/200805295945/country/no-dialogue-without-hasina-al-to-notify-govt.html

Detained former premier Sheikh Hasina yesterday said a ‘conspiracy’ is still on to implement the minus 2 formula in a bid to render her ineligible for contesting in the next parliamentary election.

“Seeing the prosecution’s attitude it seems a conspiracy is still on for railroading the trial to convict me, in a bid to make me ineligible for the upcoming election. The minus 2 formula is still on,” Abdul Mannan, a counsel of the Awami League (AL) president, quoted her as saying after cross examining the first prosecution witness in the Barge-mounted power plant graft case yesterday during the fifth day of the trial.

Meanwhile, a special court yesterday set May 29 for starting hearing of depositions of other witnesses in the case against Hasina and seven others.

Following a time seeking petition of the defence, Judge Firoz Alam of Special Court 1, set up on Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises in the capital, fixed the next date for hearing the deposition of prosecution witness Sub-inspector AK Anwarul Islam, recording officer of the case.

Sajawar Hossain, a counsel of former power secretary Dr Toufique-e-Elahi Chowdhury, cross examined MM Sabbir Hasan, an Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, for the fifth day.

The court yesterday also witnessed a rather heated argument of 15 minutes between Judge Firoz Alam and defence lawyer Sajawar Hossain before the trial proceeding began.

At the beginning of the proceedings the judge asked Sajawar to start cross examining the witness, but the defence counsel started with a grievance against the judge’s conduct during the proceedings of the day before. Sajawar said the judge scolded him on Monday, ‘which he cannot do’. “You can’t scold me,” the defence counsel said.

In reply, the judge said the court was not Sajawar’s ‘drawing room’ and as a lawyer he cannot ask the court to explain its conduct. The judge told Sajawar that his behaviour was ‘tantamount to contempt of the court’. Then he asked Sajawar again to start cross examining the witness.

As the defence lawyer did not heed the judge’s command and kept harping on the matter instead, the judge got angry and slammed a bundle of files he was holding on the table saying, “I’ve been a judge for the last 28 years and now you are teaching me the proceedings?”

The judge said Sajawar was not allowed to ask the judge for any explanation for his behaviour in the court, but he has the right to file an appeal with the High Court if he had been hurt by the judge’s behaviour in the court on Monday. He can also petition the HC for changing the court, but cannot ask the court to explain its conduct, the judge added.

“I can hold you in contempt of the court,” the judge warned Sajawar.

“You must start the cross examination as the court have asked you to do,” the Judge told the defence counsel, pointing out that it is only right for the court to ask him to elaborate if it does not understand his suggestions.

Sajawar’s conduct in the court in the presence of a former prime minister was regrettable, the judge said adding that counsels should have been mindful of the court’s dignity considering the presence of a former premier in the dock.

Sajawar started the cross examination after senior defence lawyers apologised to the court for his conduct.

Before starting the trial proceedings, the detained AL chief told her counsels that the court may pronounce whatever verdict it pleases, but her conscience will know that she is innocent.

“Many big fishes are being released because they have money,” she said adding, “Love and money can never be hidden.”

Hasina’s counsels said she told them that whether she had been involved in corruption can be known by inspecting the wealth she had before her tenure as a prime minister and what she has now.

Quoting Hasina, the defence lawyers told reporters that the AL chief is very ill and she feels that she has lost 50 percent of her eyesight.

They also said they petitioned the court seeking regular medical check up for Hasina.

Defence lawyer Abdul Mannan said AL is in favour of elections and dialogues but the dialogues will not be successful unless the government meets the demands of the rank and file of AL.

During a news briefing after yesterday’s court proceedings Sajawar Hossain said he did not do anything in the court that might be considered as contempt of the court.

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=38527