STATEMENT:Human Rights Abuses against the Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and President of Bangladesh Awami League Sheikh Hasina

Adv. Shahanur Islam saikot Programme Manager-Legal & Human Rights 

 Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister and President of Bangladesh Awami League was arrested on 16 July 2007 on a false and concocted charge of extortion of money in year of 2000. She is imprisoned in a sub jail and remaining out of contact from outside world. In such situation the anticorruption commission has asked to submit her property statement. As a president of the biggest political parties she was to open several Bank Accounts in various Banks. While she was taken in to custody the joint forces raided her residence and took away records of those Bank Accounts. With out consulting records it is not possible for Sheikh Hasina to submit the correct statement of the money in her account in the Banks. So she requested the Governor of Bangladesh bank to arrange to the bank statement from the concerned Bank. But the Governor straightway has refused to submit any bank statement to Sheikh Hasina, although , the same governor of Bangladesh bank has already submitted the same Bank statement to the Task Force of Anti Corruption Commission. The gov’t demands property statement from Sheikh Hasina, keeping her in jail custody and seizing all documents but refused to supply the relevant document as well as bank statement to prepare correct property statement by sheikh Hasina. The double standard attitude of the government has created strong suspicions that government is preparing the ground so that Sheikh Hasina would not be able to submit her property statement within the limit and face trial for non submission of the property statement. The trial in special court will end to punishment of Sheikh Hasina. In this way the present Army backed caretaker will be able to fulfill their desire to stop Sheikh Hasina from contesting the next General Election.