Zillur asks govt to free Hasina permanently for transition to democracy

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Awami League's (AL) acting president Zillur Rahman asked the caretaker government (CG) to permanently free party chief Sheikh Hasina to pave the way for the country's transition to democracy, reports UNB.
"Only through permanent and unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina the nation can get rid of the ongoing crises," Zillur Rahman said.
He was addressing a milad-mahfil arranged on the occasion of Hasina's 61st birthday at her Dhanmondi office.
Awami League presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu and Suranjit Sengupta, among others, took part.
Zillur demanded withdrawal of all cases against Hasina as he said these are all 'baseless and false' charges.
He alleged that the government filed the cases in a bid to drive a wedge between her and the people.
The AL followers at the milad prayed for Hasina's permanent release and healthy long life.
Acting AL general secretary Ashraful Islam told journalists Sheikh Hasina might return home after October 17 as she is scheduled to appear before her doctor on the day.
"Like all the people, we are also waiting for our great leader. We are waiting eagerly as she will lead us as well as the whole nation after her return."
Later, former AL lawmakers arranged another doa-mahfil at a NAM flat in the evening to observe the leader's birth anniversary.
Sheikh Hasina celebrated her birthday at the residence of her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy in Washington. The US unit of AL also observed her birthday with various programmes, said party website.
Sheikh Hasina, country's founding-father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's eldest daughter, was born in Tungipara of Gopalganj district on this day in 1947.
She was elected president of the Awami League at a council session of the party in February 1981 while she was in exile. She returned home on May 17, 1981.
Sheikh Hasina led the party to power and became prime minister of Bangladesh in June 1996, two decades after Bangabandhu along with other family members and relatives was assassinated in August 1975.
The AL president escaped more than 10 assassination attempts, including one on August 21 in 2004 when a rally of her party came under grenade attacks in the capital that left 24 leaders and activists dead.
bdnews24.com. adds: Awami League presidium member Suranjit Sengupta demanded the resignation of Speaker Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar Sunday.
Speaking at the iftar gathering to mark the birthday of AL president Sheikh Hasina, Suranjit said, "He should resign after making political comments in violation of his oath as speaker."
"He should not speak in such a way when taking money from the taxpaying public."
At a roundtable Friday, at the National Press Club, Sircar had said there was no cause for nationalist forces to fear as AL could not win the next parliamentary polls "even if it forges an alliance with 14 parties, 16 parties or 100 parties."
Sircar also said AL had destroyed democracy in the past and the future of democracy was not safe in AL hands.
Suranjit stated, "We will go to polls with our leader. We will win the election and Sheikh Hasina will be prime minister again."
The gathering of AL leaders was held at the NAM flat of former speaker and deputy opposition leader Abdul Hamid.
Hamid echoed Suranjit, "We will not go to poll leaving Sheikh Hasina outside. The government can withdraw the cases against Sheikh Hasina if it wants to."
He also said, "Sircar cannot make the comments he did as speaker."
Hamid Saturday termed Sircar's comments "undemocratic and against parliamentary norms".
"(Sircar) cannot ridicule a party holding the office of speaker, a national and non-partisan institution," Hamid had told the news agency.
"By making those comments, he has lost the moral authority as speaker, who must perform his duties without political bias."
Questioning the Sircar's allegiance to the politics of BNP, Hamid also bitterly criticised the party.
"The very emergence of the BNP is undemocratic. It is unacceptable for the BNP to talk about democracy," said Hamid.