Detained Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday instructed her party colleagues to forge a movement to force the government to meet the five-point demand including her release and immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency.
She also asked them to know about the military-backed caretaker administration's agenda before attending the official dialogue. She also wants them to “make the talks successful at any cost”.
A former prime minister, Hasina made the comments to her lawyers after the hearing on charge framing in the MiG-29 graft case was adjourned till May 19.
Fourth of its kind, yesterday's adjournment came as the former army chief Mustafizur Rahman, an accused in the case, could not appear before the court due to illness.
“There is no alternative to launching a movement to realise the five-point demand. And obviously there is no alternative to a transparent, impartial and credible national election to establish democracy, human rights and rule of law,” her lawyer Kamrul Islam quoted her as saying.
Kamrul told the media that the AL chief has urged the senior leaders of the party to mobilise public support in pressing the government to concede the five-point demand that first came up in the pre-dialogue talks between AL and advisers to the caretaker government.
An end to price spiral of essentials, announcement of an election schedule without delay and trial of the war criminals are the other three demands.
Earlier on May 4, the AL president said the formal dialogue with the government could go ahead in her absence.
About the planned talks with the government, she was yesterday quoted by the lawyer as saying, “They [AL leaders] must know the government's agenda before attending the dialogue and make it successful at any cost.”
She said the caretaker government's tenure cannot exceed the 90-day period while the state of emergency cannot be in force for more than 120 days. An exception to this is against the constitution.
She said a failure to hand over power to an elected government will plunge the nation into a dangerous situation.
Six of the seven charge-sheeted accused including Hasina were present in the dock yesterday when Mustafizur Rahman's lawyer moved a petition seeking a four-week adjournment on grounds of his client's illness.
Without passing any rule regarding the petition, the court adjourned the hearing till May 19.
Earlier on April 27, the hearing was suspended after Mustafizur's lawyer declined to present submission in his absence.
The hearing was supposed to begin on April 20, but the court called a recess till April 27 as Hasina could not be produced because of illness.
The other accused in the case are former air force chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, air commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain and Managing Director of Unique Group Nur Ali.
Names of Brig Gen (retd) Iftekhar-Ul-Bashar and former deputy secretary Hasan Mahmood Delwar were dropped off the charge sheet for lack of evidence while those of Mustafizur Rahman, Mirza Akhter Maruf, Hossain Serniabat and Nur Ali were included after probe found evidence of their involvement in the alleged scam.