By IANS
Dhaka : Sheikh Hasina, one of the two former prime ministers of Bangladesh now in jail, has demanded use of telephone since she is charged but not yet convicted.
Telephone facility is her right under the jail laws, her lawyer Fazle Noor Taposh, quoted her as saying. He was part of the team that met her Saturday.
“She (Hasina) is not getting many rights which she is entitled to under the jail code,” another lawyer, Tawfique Nawaz, said.
“As a prisoner not convicted, she (Hasina) has the right to talk to anyone over telephone, but she is not getting the facility,” he said.
“According to the jail code, under section 682, Sheikh Hasina has the right to communicate to anyone verbally,” Nawaz said.
Hasina has a murder charge and three cases of extortion against her. She also faces another charge of allegedly receiving kickbacks during Bangladesh’s purchase of MiG-29 combat aircraft from Russia when she was in office (1996-2001).
The Dhaka High Court rejected her bail plea earlier this week and allowed the government to revive the case after six years.
Both Hasina and her political rival, Khaleda Zia, are lodged in two separate buildings, declared special jails, in the country’s parliament complex.
Hasina has been in jail since July 16, while Zia, also charged with extortion and misuse of office, was arrested last Monday.
“Sheikh Hasina expressed her surprise and disappointment over the judgement in the Mig-29 case,” Fazle Noor Taposh, another lawyer for the Awami League chief told reporters after meeting her at the jail.
“The Mig-29s were bought to ensure the sovereignty of the country and keep our airspace free from enemies,” Taposh quoted Hasina as saying.
Zia’s both sons are also in jail. The elder son,Tareq, has been detained since March 7, while the younger one, Arafat Rahman Koko, who is not keeping well, was arrested last Wednesday.
A team of ten doctors has been examining him for complaints of chest and shoulder pain, The Daily Star said Sunday.