Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina yesterday denied ever having accompanied former president H M Ershad on a secret long drive.

Responding to reporters' questions regarding a chapter in a recently published book by Jatiya Party leader Maudud Ahmed. Hasina asked. "Did he (Maudud) drive that car or did he get the story in his dreams?"

During her press conference yesterday morning at the AL's Dhanmondi office in the city. Hasina dismissed the reference to her close contacts with the deposed ruler, which appears in a chapter of the book "Democracy and the Challenge of Development: A Study of Politics and Military Interventions" by Ershad's former vice president Maudud Ahmed, published last week. The Awami League president also claimed that Maudud Ahmed had teleplioned her yesterday morning and regretted having made the reference in his book.

Maudud reportedly told her yesterday that he had heard the story from others. Hasina said. She wondered how he could include a mere hearsay in his book.

"Maudud Shaheb frequently changes his colour. Possibly he wrote this fiction to change his colour again." she said sarcastically.

In his book. Maudud claims former president Ershad had maintained secret links with Sheikh Hasina. Begum Khaleda Zia and kept them apart to rule the country smoothly.

The book was published by I he University Press Limited and released simultaneously by the Oxford University press in Pakistan and Vikas Piiblu aliens in India.