AL set to form legal aid committee for Hasina

---

Concerned about the trial process of Sheikh Hasina arrested in an extortion case, the Awami League is forming a legal aid committee in a day or two to provide her legal assistance, reports bdnews24.com.
"The leader has expressed scepticism about a fair trial. We are also concerned. So a legal aid committee will be formed in a day or two to extend legal assistance to Sheikh Hasina," acting AL president Zillur Rahman Saturday said.
Speaking to reporters at his Gulshan home, he again said the party has risen over squabbles and rifts and the leaders have closed their ranks in the wake of the arrest of the party supremo.
"All of us are now united for her freedom," he said and urged the government to release Hasina with honour.
"We are against corruption. But the party president has been arrested on charges of corruption. We request the government to right the wrong if it believes it has made."
He welcomed the army chief's statement that Bangabandhu would be given the right honour in the textbooks.
"Truth cannot be hidden with lies. The government and the army chief have made the right evaluation of Bangabandhu. We thank them for the initiative."
Members of the AL council of advisers Shawkat Ali and Subid Ali Bhuiyan, acting general secretary Mukul Bose and health affairs secretary Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin met Zillur Saturday.
Later Mukul Bose told journalists, "The jail authorities did not allow the party president's relatives to see her. This is inhuman and sad.
"We are disturbed at the incident. We want immediate release of Sheikh Hasina."
Mukul said the ongoing reform process has stalled with the arrest of the party president and would take place in presence of Hasina.
He said Zillur asked him to take up programmes on August 15, the day independence leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated with much of his family.
Mukul said the acting chief would talk to the party leaders and workers in the afternoon every afternoon to get their views on the programmes and has already been in touch with Tofail Ahmed who was ill..
Zillur has directed Mukul Bose to write to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner in a day or two for permission for the programme and destitute feeding on August 15.
Mukul said the government had allowed the BNP to observe the death anniversary of former president Ziaur Rahman on a limited scale and hoped it would also allow them.
Relatives to be allowed
to see Hasina
Meanwhile, a senior jail official said Sheikh Hasina would be allowed to see relatives she wants to in the jail.
"Her relatives will be allowed to meet her in turn. We will ask her whom she wants to meet and will give permission in line with her preference," deputy inspector general, prisons, major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told reporters.
He said Hasina was keeping well.
"Her blood pressure was normal. Doctors checked her health in the morning."
Siddiqui said relatives could meet a prisoner once a week. But lawyers will be allowed to meet her Sunday as she was to submit her wealth statement to the Anti-corruption Commission.
Earlier two televisions were sent to the special jail in the Jatiya Sangsad premises for Hasina Saturday.
Faruk Hasan, president of Awami League, Canada unit, and Dhaka City AL leader Misbahur Rahman Ratan took a 21-inch television to the jail housed in the Jatiya Sangsad complex.
Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad and personal assistant Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury took another television.
Deputy jailer Farruk Hasan received the televisions.
Major Siddiqui said Hasina would be allowed to watch only state-run BTV.