Hasina spends day fasting

For the first time the two surviving daughters of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman--Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana--yesterday could not pay tribute to their father, mother, brothers and relatives who were brutally killed by a group of army personnel on August 15, 1975.
Awami League (AL) President Hasina, who has been detained in a special jail on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises since the joint forces arrested her on July 16 on an extortion charge, passed her day in deep sadness.
A gloomy Hasina wanted to talk to Rehana, who is in the US, but she was not allowed to talk to her sister as Rehana has also been shown accused in the same extortion case, said relatives who met Hasina at the jail yesterday.
Hasina and Rehana were in the then West Germany on this day in 1975.
After the assassination of Bangabandhu, Hasina spent six years in exile. She returned to the country in 1981 and took charge of the AL. She became the prime minister in 1996 and declared August 15 as a day of national mourning and a holiday.
But the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government, after coming to power in October 2001, scrapped the day's official status.
Hasina as usually fasted on the day and passed the day mostly reciting from the holy Quran and offering special prayer for the salvation of the departed souls of her father, mother, brothers and relatives.
Hasina burst into tears when her aunt Sheikh Ziannatunnesa, maternal uncle Sheikh Khabiruddin, sister-in-law Shanara Abdullah, cousins Faria Sheikh and Sheikh Sultana Rekha met her at the jail. They spent more than an hour together.
The relatives said even on this day Hasina did not forget the sufferings of the country's people caused by the devastating floods. The AL president urged her party leaders and people to tackle the flood and the post-flood situation with patience. She asked AL leaders to help the flood victims with whatever they have.
The relatives said on behalf of Hasina cooked food was distributed among orphans of Sobhanbagh orphanage and Takwa orphanage on Dhanmondi roads No. 12 and 7.
Every year Hasina usually places wreaths on the portrait of Bangabandhu and spends several hours in the Bangabandhu Bhaban, recites from the holy Quran and offers doa for the peace of the departed souls of her dear and near ones. Afterwards she visits Banani graveyard and later her father's graveyard at Tungipara in Gopalganj.
Hasina got up at about 3:30am yesterday to take meal for fasting. She offered Fazar prayers and recited from the holy Quran for some time.
Hasina passed most of the day reciting from the Quran and offering special prayers, DIG Prison Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told The Daily Star, adding that they arranged "sehri" and "iftar" for Hasina.
On Hasina's wanting to talk to her sister, Haider told reporters that there are no rules in the jail code to allow any detainee to talk over telephone. He said he does not know if the AL chief wanted to talk to her sister.
Talking to reporters, Khabiruddin said Hasina has expressed her sadness as she has been kept detained on the day and was not allowed to pay tribute to her father, mother and relatives. He said Hasina has expressed her determination to fight legally against the "false" charges.
Shanara said Hasina asked the country's people to pray for her. "Hasina burst into tears when she heard that she would not be allowed to talk to her only sister on this day," said Shanara.
Hasina also demanded trial of the killers of her father, mother, brothers and relatives, she added.