Bangladesh News

Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed party men to remain united at any cost and strengthen the organisation for the upcoming parliamentary polls.

The former premier, who was released temporarily on Wednesday, also said she would return to the country as soon as her treatment in the USA completes.

Hasina left Dhaka on a British Airways flight at about 8:25am yesterday.

“She [Hasina] has directed us to work together in a well organised manner for the next parliamentary election,” AL acting President Zillur Rahman told The Daily Star after seeing Hasina off at the Zia International Airport (ZIA).

Zillur, however, said no discussion was held with the party president regarding taking part in the election.

“She urged all to maintain party unity at any cost and remain alert so that the party is not harmed or split. She also directed us to maintain strict discipline within the party,” he told reporters at ZIA.

Zillur, a senior AL Presidium member who has been working as the acting president in Hasina’s absence since her arrest on July 16 last year, said they would take part in the ongoing dialogue with the caretaker government after finalising their representatives in the party forum in a day or two.

Meanwhile, AL acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said Hasina was released unconditionally and without any negotiation with the government for treatment in the USA.

“There was no negotiation with anybody regarding her release,” Ashraf told reporters after Hasina’s departure, adding, “She was not released on any attached condition.

“We have necessary papers to prove it. You may check the government order to see if there was any condition,” he told reporters.

Later last night, he expressed hope that Hasina’s release would be permanent.

“We hope that Sheikh Hasina’s release will be permanent as there is no obstacle to that now,” he told reporters after a meeting with acting British High Commissioner in Dhaka Duncan Norman at Zillur’s Gulshan residence.

Hasina’s special personal aide Dr Hasan Mahmud, who is accompanying her to the USA, also told reporters that she was not released on parole. “It was an unconditional release as there is no condition like parole in the government’s executive order,” he said, criticising media reports for describing Hasina’s release as parole.

Hasina left Sudha Sadan at about 6:45am and reached ZIA at about 7:20am amid huge security measures.

A large contingent of police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel were deployed on the route from Sudha Sadan to ZIA. Besides, escorting Hasina’s motorcade were several vehicles carrying police and Rab personnel who did not allow any media vehicle to approach near the motorcade.

Hasina was driven to the airport by her personal Mercedes SUV, which the police gave her back on the day of her release.

Only a good number of senior party leaders were allowed at the VIP Lounge of the airport where a seven-tier security system was placed. The leaders had already gathered at the lounge when Hasina arrived there.

Because of the security, however, regular passengers had to face difficulties in entering the airport. Police and ZIA security personnel with the help of Rab searched each passenger.

Besides Dr Hasan Mahmud, Hasina’s Chief Security Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and her personal physician Dr Niaz Ahmed are accompanying Hasina on her journey abroad.

Hasina spent about an hour at the VIP Lounge and talked to party colleagues. She seemed to be very happy, said party leaders present there.

They said they requested Hasina to concentrate on her treatment rather than the situation in the country.

Earlier, prior to leaving Sudha Sadan, Hasina held a meeting with the leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League and directed them to remain united and work together.

The flight carrying Hasina landed at the Heathrow Airport in London around 7:00pm Bangladesh time. During a half-an-hour stopover there, Hasina met her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and niece Ruponti, UK AL President Shamsuddin Khan and Vice-President Jalal Uddin.

None of them, however, briefed journalists after the meeting, London-based Bangla weekly Janamot Editor Syed Nahash Pasha told The Daily Star last night.

Hasina will stay in the house of her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy in the US for a few days and then go to Orlando for treatment of her ears. She will then fly for Washington for the treatment of her eyes. Later, she will visit her daughter Saima Wazed Putul in Canada and spend a few days there.

Meanwhile, leaders of the US chapter of the AL and its front organisations have made preparations to welcome Hasina at the Boston Airport, according to a report of New York-based news agency News World.

The government released Hasina on June 11 for eight weeks after about an 11-month detention since her arrest on July 16 last year.

Briefing newsmen after seeing off Hasina at ZIA, Ashraf said Hasina expressed gratefulness and gratitude to all for their support for her release and asked the people of the country to pray for her.

“She [Hasina] has asked us to stay united and directed to run party activities in her absence as before,” he said, adding that the AL chief told them that she would return home as early as possible after completing her treatment.

He said they want a favourable atmosphere for the election, which should be held before all other elections.

MEETING WITH BRITISH ENVOY
Talking to reporters after his meeting with Ashraf, Norman expressed hope that a free, fair and credible election would be held in Bangladesh by December and the political parties would continue the dialogue for the polls.

Hoping that the dialogue would be successful, he said there is no alternative to the success of the dialogue.

Ashraf said issues including the election, the state of emergency and voter list came up for discussion. He thanked the British envoy for his country’s technical support in preparing the voter list.