Bangladesh News

Two former caretaker government advisers yesterday dismissed allegations that they had been involved in attempt to poison Sheikh Hasina in her detention during the last caretaker government rule.

They also demanded a probe into the matter.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Health and Family Welfare Adviser Prof Sayed Modasser Ali alleged that Barrister Mainul Hosein and Major Gen (retd) MA Matin–two former advisers to Fakhruddin Ahmed-led interim administration–had been involved in a scheme to kill Hasina by poisoning.

The then inspector general (prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hasan and deputy inspector general Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui too had been part of the plot, he added.

In a statement in response to the allegation, Mainul yesterday questioned what took Prof Modasser so long to raise the allegation.

Hasina visited the US for treatment four to five months before she became prime minister, but Modasser did not say anything at that time, he added.

Major General (retd) MA Matin, the other ex-adviser in question, said, “No slow poisoning was reported even by Square Hospital authorities. Neither did she [Hasina] complain of any physical problem.”

Talking to The Daily Star via phone from his Panchlaish residence in Chittagong yesterday, he said law enforcement and intelligence agencies like DGFI, NSI, CID, SB of police and Rapid Action Battalion were in charge of security arrangements for the subjail. It means there was no scope for anyone from outside to serve her food.

Brig Gen Zakir told The Daily Star that there was no chance to serve any poison-laced food to Hasina in the sub-jail.

Major Haider who would frequent the special jail during Hasina’s confinement however declined to comment on the matter.

Talking to this correspondent, some jail officials said Sheikh Hasina was released on parole on June 11 last year. If the allegations were true, those would have been raised soon after her release.

They too demanded an investigation to find out whether the allegation is true.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said before being served to Hasina, the food would be tested by Dr Suraiya Bulbul, who was attached to the Awami League chief Hasina by the health ministry.

Besides the doctor, the then deputy jailer Faruq Ahmed who was in charge of the sub-jail would first eat the food meant for Hasina and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

Sources said Dr Suraiya Bulbul is now a medical officer at the Prime Minister’s Office while Faruq is the jailer at the Rajshahi Central Jail.

“If an attempt was made to slow poison Hasina, how come the two have such lucrative postings?” questioned an ex-jail official.

He said these two officials would have been the first to be held responsible for an attempt on the life of an inmate of a former prime minister’s stature.

About Modasser’s claim that Hasina was suffering from allergy and skin problems and shedding an abnormal amount of hair during her detention due to the poisoned diet, prison sources said she was checked by a medical board and her other personal physicians, but no such symptoms were detected.

There was no chance for poisoning attempt as four female guards would be with Hasina round the clock, added the sources.

Modasser’s allegation came a week after a similar allegation made by Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury.

BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they suspect ‘poison-mixed food’ was served to their Chairperson Khaleda Zia as well.

MA Matin termed the allegation a nasty slander and a false and motivated statement for political use.

He said as the prime minister herself is the alleged victim here, she can have the ministries concerned to arrange for a probe.

“Be it by a judicial committee or inquiry court, a fair and impartial probe must be carried out,” he added.

Strongly protesting the allegation, Mainul Hosein said since Prof Modasser is an eye specialist, so he is not supposed to have the knowledge and skill to detect poison in food. “I firmly believe Sheikh Hasina herself would not believe my involvement in the so-called attempt on her life,” he said in the statement.