Detained former premier and Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina yesterday expressed her resolve to take part in the upcoming parliamentary election as a recent signature campaign of her party has proved that people are beside her.

Hasina said the electoral reform dialogue with the government could be held in her absence. "My presence during the dialogue is not a major issue,” she told her lawyers after the hearing on charge framing in the MiG-29 graft case was adjourned until May 11.

Referring to the recounting of votes in the election of Supreme

Court Bar Association (SCBA), she, however, expressed doubts that a transparent and neutral general election would be held. Hasina's counsels told the press.

The court dealing with the MiG-29 graft case against Hasina and six others adjourned the hearing for the third time as former army chief Mustafizur Rahman, another accused in the case, was absent because of illness.

"In just 10 days, 25 lakh people in the capital have signed for my release. It proves that people are with me. So, I will definitely take part in the general election," a defence counsel quoted Hasina as saying. "No one except Allah and the people of Bangladesh has the authority to decide whether I will participate in the election or not The people will decide whether I am a corrupt or not." Hasina said.

"A non-elected government's holding power for a long time cannot yield any good result for a country. Only an elected and democratic government can deal with the problems the country is facing now," she said.

"When votes had to be recounted in the SCBA election on I allegations of rigging, how can we expect that the parliamentary election would be transparent and neutral? The people must be careful to ensure a transparent and neutral election," Hasina told her lawyers.

She said setting up of courts one after another on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises is an ominous sign.

On food crisis, she said, "There have been reports that people failing to get food are committing suicide in some places in the country and it cannot be tolerated. "

Regarding the MiG-29 case Hasina said, "It is being said that I have committed the offence. Then release the others and try only me."

The court sat around 9:45am yesterday with six accused present in the dock.

Former army chief Mustafizur Rahman's lawyer submitted a time petition on grounds of his client's Alness This ensued an argument *»th the prosecution lawyers.

The prosecution expressed .”apicion if Mustafizur is really ill

and requested the court to cancel his bail to make it clear. They argued that an accused does not need to be present before a court always when they have lawyers to represent them.

The defence complained that the prosecution was trying to misguide the court to get Mustafizur's bail order cancelled and issue a warrant of arrest against the ailing accused.

"The court cannot issue an arrest warrant against Mustafizur as he got the bail from higher court," the defence said.

Earlier on April 27, Judge Golam Mortoza Majumder suspended the hearing of the case as Mustafizur's lawyer declined to present his submission in his absence.

The hearing on charge framing was supposed to begin on April 20. but the court called a recess until April 27 as Hasina could not be produced because of her illness.

The other accused in the case are former Air Force chief Jamaluddin Ahmed. Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain and Managing DirectorofUniqueGroupNurAli.

Names of Brig Gen (retd) Iftekhar-Ul-Bashar and former deputy secretary Hasan Mahmood Delwar were dropped from the charge sheet for lack of evidence.

Names of Mustafizur Rahman, Mirza Akhter Maruf, Hossain Serniabat and Nur Ali were included after investigators found evidence of their involvement in the alleged scam.