Bangladesh Ambassador receives AL Chief at Boston: Hasina demands early polls

June 14, 2008 - 12:37am BDT

Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, who reached Boston Thursday night, demanded restoration of an elected government by holding early general elections.

"You know, people in Bangladesh is in difficult situation. We want democracy; we want elected government through early elections," she told reporters on her arrival at Boston airport. Son Sajiv Wazed Joy and daughter-in-law Christina received Sheikh Hasina as hundreds of expatriate Bangladeshis and Awami League supporters greeted the Awami League chief with flowers and colourful festoons. Bangladesh Ambassador to USA Humayun Kabir, Awami League leaders AMA Muhit, Akhtaruzzaman Babu, Fakhrul Islam Munshi and Khaled Hassan, among others, were also present, according to a message received here Friday.

Hasina will be staying with her son Joy in Boston for few days before leaving for Florida where she will have treatment to her damaged ears.

Later, she will go to Canada to see her daughter Saima Wazed Putul. The Awami League chief left here for USA Thursday morning, a day after she got released from detention for an interim period of eight weeks to facilitate her treatment abroad.