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People will try today’s corrupts

Warns Khaleda at hearing of graft case, terms govt dialogue manipulated; hugs ailing son Koko in tears

Staff Correspondent
Detained former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said the country's people would try those who are committingcorruption at present.
"Those who are committing corruption now must be punished. The people will bring them to trial," Khaleda said during the trial of Gatco corruption case against her, her youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others at a special court.
Terming the ongoing dialogue "manipulated", she said the government actually does not want the dialogue, otherwise it would not
have conducted the mass arrest of political leaders and activists.
She said despite having good intentions, the major political parties cannot join the dialogue
because of such measures of the government.
Khaleda alleged that the caretaker government wants to implement its "blueprint" to hold an election with their "chosen" candidates excluding popular leaders of the major political parties. "But the people will foil the government's blueprint," she added.
Khaleda, Koko and other accused in the case were produced before Special Court-3 on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises yesterday amid tight security.
Koko was taken to the court by an ambulance from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University at
10:06am He was given oxygen in the ambulance for about 45 minutes before being produced before the court at 10 50am on a wheelchair.
An emotional situation arose after Khaleda entered the courtroom at 11:00am as a tearful Khaleda rushed to embrace her son. lite mother and son met after rune months since their arrests.
With the judge's permission. Khaleda said day by day it is becoming clear to the country 's people why l/lIwas staged".
In her 18-minu(e speech, the former premier said. I he incidents of 1/11 were staged to fulfil a few persons' high ambition and those who made it happen have no concerns about die country and its people
She asked why this government has been running the country under the state of emergency for over one and a half years if it is so popular.
"Ours was also a popular govern -ment but the emergency was not required during our tenure, she said, adding. 'The popularity of this government has slid down to zero."
Renewing her call to die government for lifting the state of emergency widiin this month and holding national elections by October. Khaleda said there is no alternative to holding an election to saw the coun -tn
"It is not possible to mow die country forward without politicians. "she added.
She alleged that the government started arresting and filing "false" and "concocted' cases against politicians to implement its blueprint.
"The government is harassing political leaders to stay in power and is making excuses to divert public attention from the disastrous situation in the country," she said.
"When people started extending spontaneous suppon to politicians after indoor politics was allowed, the government became scared and launched mass arrest in the name of curbing terrorism." she told the court packed with lawyers, journalists and security perso nnel.
The BNP chairperson asked how the election could be credible if major political parties are barred from participating in it
'It seems the government wants to hold an election similar to those during the rule of Ershad." she said, adding that the government wants to legitimise its actions by forming parties with its agents".
Khaleda said although the tenure of the caretaker government was 90 day's during w'hich it was supposed to hand over power to an elected government through holding a free and fair election, the government is continuing its rule violating the constitution.
_ Rice price has gone above Tk40 and to survive children now have to stand in queues to get rice instead of studying, she said.
Terming the cases filed against her false, baseless and concocted. Khaleda claimed that she, her son and other accused in the Gatco case are innocent because her government had worked as per the rules of business.
We neither committed any offence, nor did we misuse power, she said, asking why the government has not yet scrapped the contract with Gatco if it was so bad.
"The aim of this government is to keep political leaders away from elections and belittle them before the people," she said.
Khaleda alleged that a "camera trial'' is being held with only wry few journalists being allowed to enter the courtroom so that the country's people do not come to know what is going on there.
Ine fonner premier said a conspiracy is being hatched to make Bangladesh a vassal state by destroying the nationalist forces.
"But the people are conscious enough and will resist any such conspiracy as they proved on November?, 1975,"she said.
Khaleda said the government has no constitutional right to hold polls to the city corporations and municipalities before holding the national elections.
Judges are unable to function independently and according to their conscience as there are "oraers" on them, she said adding that journalists cannot also carry out their responsibility freely "Journalists are barred from writing freely and are even receiving threats over telephone and being picked up by certainquarters," she said.
Criticising the government for denouncing politicians as corrupt. Khaleda said all classes of people including politicians, businessmen and public servants are being branded as corrupt except a particularsection.
"My entire family has been mined. See my youngest son's con-dition...Mv son who was physically ouite well has been made ill, ” she told the court, demanding that the court send Koko abroad for proper treatment.
Judge Shahed Noor Uddin set June 10 for the next hearing on charge framing in the Gatco graft case as defence counsels appealed for time extension.
Seventeen accused including Khaleda. Koko, former LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former health minister Knandaker Mosharraf Hossain, former agriculture minister MK Anwar, former land tninister M Shamsul Islam, Jamaat-;-Islami Ameer and former industries minister Motiur Rahman Nizami and former state minister for mergyAKM Mosharraf Hossain were produced before the court yesterday.
Upon another prayer of the defence, the court allowed eight defence lawyers, including BNP secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, 30 minutes to consult with Khaleda on legal matters.
At one stage, Koko suffered from respiratory problems and was immediately given oxygen.
As his lawyer barrister Mahbub Jddin Khokon drew the court’s attention to Koko’s illness, he was taken out of the courtroom and nought back to hospital.