STATEMENT:The Present Army Backed Caretaker Gov’t Desiring to Institute a fabricated Case

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

 On 21 August 2004, there was massive grenade attack upon the Sheikh Hasina while she was addressing a mammoth gathering at the Bangabundhu Avenue in Dhaka. About 24 persons died on the spot and a few hundred received severe injuries. Sheikh Hasina escaped from death because she was immediately pushed in to her bullet proof Jeep by her party men. But her bulletproof jeep was seriously damager by her bullet shots and grenade splinters. The security committed of Awami League felt necessity to replace the changed jeep by two new bulletproof jeeps. Then the Four Party alliance government did not supply the bulletproof jeep. At this circumstance to ensure safety of and security of the president of Awami league, two party nominated Member of Parliaments (MP) Dr. Mohammad Serajul Akber and Mr. Zahid Ahsan passed from the MP’s quota imported two bullet proof Mercedes Banes jeep, duly registered in their respective name and offered to Sheikh Hasina for use in party programme. Sheikh Hasina was arrested on 16 July 2007. After two or three days from her arrest those two jeeps have been seized by the government with the charge that Sheikh Hasina has done offence by using other’s owned jeep. There is no law in Bangladesh and hopefully in any other country of the world that a person is restrained to offer his personal transport for use of other person. But the present army backed caretaker gov’t has been searching every nook and corner to frame charge against Sheikh Hasina so that she would not be able to contest the next election and remain silent against the unconstitutional army backed caretaker government. So far this government has instituted four false cases against her. Honorable High Court of Bangladesh on 30 July 2007 has passed the rule to stay all proceedings of one those cases and shown arrest in other false cases she could not be free from the jail. The lawyers are preparing to move to the High Court against the remaining false cases. Government is apprehending that the proceeding of all those false case will be stayed by the court and Sheikh Hasina would be bailed out. To put her in to further and prolonging harassment the government desires to institute another false case in connection with those two bulletproof jeeps. Such action with motive the army backed caretaker government has lost their neutral character which is violation of Constitution and abuses of Human Rights