Bangladesh News

The government yesterday extended the parole of ex-premier Sheikh Hasina by a month until September 6 to facilitate her treatment in the United States hours into her husband’s appeal with the government.

A handout from the Press Information Department yesterday evening said the extension will be effective from August 7 as per conditions set during her release on June 11.

The Awami League president’s parole is due to expire today.

Hasina, who is standing trial on corruption charges, walked out of the sub-jail on June 11 after 11 months of detention following a government executive order on her eight-week parole with permission to go abroad for better treatment of her ears and eyes.

The notification on her release said the government might cancel her parole any time without showing any reason.

Hasina flew to the US the next day and is staying there now.

Yesterday’s statement said the extension of her parole came following appeal by her husband Dr M Wazed Miah.

Wazed sent an application to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed for extending his wife’s parole to facilitate her treatment in the US for a longer time. He also appealed for withdrawal of all the cases filed against Hasina.

When Hasina’s lawyer barrister Fazle Noor Taposh and personnel aide Dr Hasan Mahmud went to submit Dr Wazed’s application in the afternoon, an official of the CA’s office received it.

Talking to reporters there, they indicated that Hasina is likely to return to Dhaka in September after seeing a physician in the US on September 2.

Hasina was arrested at her Sudha Sadan residence on July 16 last year and is now facing 14 criminal cases.

Meanwhile, the Awami League (AL) president yesterday demanded immediate release of the detained party leaders including newly elected Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Badaruddin Ahmed Kamran.

She talked to her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad over phone in the morning and congratulated the voters, the Election Commission, and party leaders and activists on the victory of AL-backed candidates in the city corporation polls, said a press release yesterday.

The US-based news agency News World reported that Hasina urged the caretaker government to hold the national election prior to upazila polls after the city corporation election results reached Washington where the AL president is receiving medical treatment.

“I request the caretaker government to make preparations for holding national election at an earlier date. We have been demanding that the national polls should be held before upazila election and we still stand by the demand,” Hasina said.

“The election results show that people have emerged victorious in the polls. People have recognised the role Awami League has played for their welfare and the country through casting their votes for the candidates backed by Awami League,” the AL president said.

“This election has proved that Awami League had been defeated in polls several times in the past through rigging,” she added.

The former premier also said there are some reports of irregularities in the Barisal city corporation polls and the authorities concerned must take preventive measures to avoid repetition of such incidents.

Meanwhile, AL leaders and activists in the USA distributed sweetmeats celebrating party’s victory in the city corporation polls.