Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the caretaker government's antigraft drive has been a crucial lesson for the country's politics.
"Corrupt politicians should take a lesson from that," the Awami League president said at a London meeting held on Monday by the UK arm of the AL-associated Jubo League.
The occasion marked the second such meeting of AL supporters addressed by Hasina after returning to London from Finland.
The former prime minister also mentioned her detention period had given her the time and opportunity to consider how Bangladesh should be governed properly, local reporter Wahid Zaman told .
"There has not been any sustained period of democracy in Bangladesh. A country cannot be prosperous economically if there is not a chain of proper democracy," she said.
The AL chief hoped that Bangladesh would celebrate its 50-year golden jubilee as a happy and prosperous country.
"The caretaker government should hold a free and fair election by December and the upazila elections should be held under the elected government."
Hasina is expected to fly back to the US on July 24, party sources said.
In another development the UK Jatiya Party held a meeting with JP chairman HM Ershad attending as chief guest.
"There was no democracy in Bangladesh ever," said the former autocrat president.
"Only the incumbent government has any chance of introducing democracy in the country," he said.
He denied any privat meeting with the AL president. "This is my personal tour and I consider it a coincidence that Hasina is currently staying in London," Ershad said.
Subject: Antigraft drive a lesson for our politics: Hasina and Ershad ........... 
Tue Jul 22, 2008 5:17 pm
