<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Referring to a recent statement made by 160 global dignitaries for suspending legal cases filed against Dr Muhammad Yunus Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the judiciary of Bangladesh is quite independent and law will take its own course.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“If the gentleman (Dr Yunus) had so much self-confidence that he had committed no crime, he would not be begging for a statement at that international level,” she said in reply to a question at a news conference at Ganobhaban, her official residence.</div><div><br></div><div>The PM asked those who made the statement to send international experts and lawyers to assess all documents to see whether there is any injustice or inconsistency there.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our country has laws, courts and labour laws, labour courts. The laws will take their own courses,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina said they (the dignitaries) should send the experts and lawyers to go through all the documents of their client to see if there is any wrongdoing or wrongful prosecution. “If they send the experts and lawyers, many more things will get revealed, which still remain untouched. Many such things will come out,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Participatory election means participation of people: PM</div><div>In reply to another question the prime minister said a participatory election means to her is the participation of people.</div><div><br></div><div>She said the people will vote in the election and those who will be elected in that election will come to the government.</div><div><br></div><div>“Whose participation to say participation now? Is it the vote of thieves or robbers? Or is it the participation of corrupt, money launderers, August 21 grenade attackers, killers of the father of the nation, war criminals of 1971? Is it what the people want?” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said it is absurd that the election would be valid only when they join it and otherwise it wouldn’t be. BNP got only 30 seats in the 2008 national election. Since then, they actually don't participate in elections anymore, rather they did just business by selling nominations</div><div><br></div><div>“Didn’t the people participate in the local government elections and many parliamentary by-elections spontaneously? People have participated in these. So, these were participatory elections,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The PM spoke to the media to explain the outcome of her recent South Africa visit to attend the 15th BRICS summit. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>