Judgment hailed

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Awami League has said justice has won over injustice with yesterday’s High Court verdict that quashed the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case against detained party chief Sheikh Hasina.

“It has been proved once again that justice prevails over injustice and truth wins over falsity. It has been unanimously established that Sheikh Hasina is completely innocent,” AL Acting President Zillur Rahman said yesterday in an instant reaction to the verdict.

Zillur also demanded that Hasina be freed immediately.

The judgment has now made it clear that the AL is going to contest the polls together with Hasina, the veteran leader added as he was talking to the reporters at his Gulshan residence.

Terming the judgement “constitutional,” Zillur said that the Constitution has been upheld and people’s respect for the rule of law has been increased through it.

On government’s appeal against the verdict with the Appellate Division, Zillur said, “I firmly believe we would get justice in the Appellate Division as well.”

Referring to a question that fresh charges have been brought against the former prime minister, the AL leader said that Hasina could not be kept behind bars through filing “false cases” as truth always wins.

AL leaders Motia Chowdhury, Rahmat Ali, Abdul Mannan Khan, Dr Dipu Moni, among others met Zillur at his residence after yesterday’s verdict.

Hailing the HC judgement, Hasina’s political secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that the public perception that Sheikh Hasina is not guilty of the charges brought against her has now strengthened further. He, however, put emphasis on seeing that the justice is done completely and that the AL chief is released.

Asked to comment, joint secretary general of pro-Khaleda Zia faction of BNP Nazrul Islam Khan said that the secretary general of the party would make its position clear over the matter. Meanwhile, acting office secretary of the same faction Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed said that fair trial has been established through the judgement.

Welcoming the verdict, Acting President of Jatiya Party (JP) Anisul Islam Mahmud said that due process of law has been followed in the judgement.

Workers’ Party President Rashed Khan Menon observed that the Constitution has been upheld through the verdict. “Now there is no reason to keep Sheikh Hasina detained,” Menon told The Daily Star.

The government should learn something from the judgement and govern the country in a constitutional way, he added.

Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote Chairman Misbaur Rahman Chowdhury said the verdict would remain remarkable in the history of the country. In a press statement, he said the government should release the AL president without further delay.

Welcoming the verdict, former president of Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (Duta) Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said that they believe that the law has taken its own course.

“The government should free Sheikh Hasina today [yesterday] and through her release it will be proved that the separated judiciary is independent,” he told The Daily Star adding that no one is above the law, whether it is the government or any individual.

Meanwhile, City unit AL and different front organisations of the party will arrange special prayers today welcoming the judgement.

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