"My party colleague just died but they [the government] would not allow me to come see his body! What kind of a country we are living in?" Hasina said, as if in a soliloquy, after she had finally managed to reach National Medical College Hospital to pay her respect to the party's deceased advisory council member.

Dr Moazzem Hossain, 80, also former general secretary of Dhaka city AL, passed away on Thursday night in the hospital due to old age complications. He was also the founder of the hospital.

Hasina was scheduled to arrive at the hospital at 10:00am, but she could not initially come out of her Sudha Sadan residence as her police escort had not arrived on schedule. As the security escort had not come, Hasina became visibly disappointed and decided to go to the hospital without any security if necessary.

Hearing about her resolve, law enforcers beefed up security around Sudha Sandan by bringing in reinforcement and built a police wall along the barbed wire barricades on the exit way.

But as Hasina informed the law enforcers that she would start walking if necessary, the on duty police officials began communicating with their higher ups, who sent a police escort for her to Sudha Sadan an hour after the previous schedule had past.

Hasina reached the hospital around 11:30am and stayed there for about 10 minutes. The AL chief draped Dr Moazzem's coffin with the flags of the country and her party. She also placed a wreath on his coffin.

Hasina observed a moment of silence in respect to her deceased colleague and prayed for salvation of the departed soul. She also expressed deep sympathy for the family members of late Dr Moazzem.

AL leaders Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Advocate Qamrul Islam and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury were also present among others.

MOTIA BARRED FROM MEETING HASINA AGAIN
AL Presidium Member Motia Chowdhury was again barred from entering Sudha Sadan yesterday. As she was approaching the entrance of Sheikh Hasina's residence around noon, police barred her from going in.

Referring to a speech given to the media by the inspector general of police (IGP), where he had said one or two party leaders in addition to Hasina's relatives and personal staff would be allowed to meet her, Motia told reporters that she had gone there to meet the AL chief being encouraged by the speech of the IGP on television but witnessed the opposite on arrival.

The AL leader, who has been quite vocal against the military backed caretaker government, said there is no consistency between the words and the actions of the IGP. "We will hope that the state's employees will walk the walk if they are to talk the talk," Motia said terming the authority's delay in arranging Hasina's visit to the hospital 'very unfortunate'.