"We are disappointed but not depressed as the charges brought against Sheikh Hasina are baseless and false," acting AL President Zillur Rahman told reporters in a press briefing at his Gulshan home in the capital after the SC Appellate Division stayed the HC's order until August 14.

He said the SC did not cancel the order of the HC rather it has only stayed the order until August 14 for further hearing. "We are always hopeful and we respect the law. We hope that we will get justice one day," said the AL leader.

He said the AL would fight the legal battle and is not thinking about other options, including movements, to have Hasina released. "We will continue our legal battle until we get justice," said the AL leader terming the cases against the AL chief false, baseless, and politically motivated.

He urged the government to withdraw the cases against Hasina and release her. "We are all united in seeking Sheikh Hasina's release. There is no conflict among the party leaders in this regard," he added.

AL leaders Motia Chowdhury, Maj Gen (retd) Shubid Ali Bhuiyan, Dipu Moni, Hasan Mahmud, Mirza Jalil, Subhas Singha Roy, advocate Abdul Matin were also present at the briefing.

Talking about the flood situation in the country, he said the entire country is witnessing a devastating flood. He urged AL leaders and workers across the country to stand beside the flood-affected people in their time of distress and help them with whatever they have.

"You will have to stand beside the flood victims like the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina stood beside them during the devastating flood of 1998," Zillur Rahman said.

The AL leader also demanded immediate release of four female party workers who were arrested at the court premises while protesting the arrest of Sheikh Hasina on July 16. He also demanded withdrawal of the "false" case filed against them.

He said jute mill workers are passing their days in untold difficulty as many mills have shut down. He demanded the caretaker government pay the wages of the workers timely.

Meanwhile, Labour and Manpower Secretary of AL Mohammad Habibur Rahman Siraj in a press statement urged the caretaker government to pay the wages, arrears and the golden handshake money to the workers of the closed jute mills.

He said as new jute mills are being launched in India, Pakistan and China, jute mills of this country are shutting down, which was "very sad".

Siraj asked the government to rethink about closing the jute mills. He also observed that the unemployment problem would be intense due to closure of the jute mills.