Zia Orphanage Trust graft case
Political arena heats up ahead of Feb 8 Khaleda verdict
Abu Jakir
The nations attention is now focused on February 8, the date fixed by the makeshift court to deliver the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against former premier Khaleda Zia. The question is, how will the verdict impact the countrys future politics. Many fear it may plunge the country into chaos again.
Its widely believed in political circles that the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) might be convicted to keep her out of the next general election, to be held towards the end of this year or early next year. The country could witness chaos, similar to the one after the much criticised national elections of January 5, 2014, as both the Awami League and its arch rival, the BNP, are expected to toughen their stand.
According to BNP sources, the party will go for a tough movement if the court gives a negative verdict, while AL insiders say stern action will be taken if BNP leaders and workers resort to violence.
On Thursday, the Special Court-5 in Dhaka fixed February 8 to deliver the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against Khaleda Zia and five others.
BNP sources said if the court were to give a negative verdict, the party would deal with case legally and also launch a tough movement against the government.
The BNPs senior leader, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, said yesterday (Friday) that the consequences will be very bad if the court verdict went against their party chief. I think the foundation stone for the fall of the AL-led government will be laid if any negative verdict is pronounced by the court at the behest of the government on February 8, he warned.
When contacted, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the political situation might deteriorate to a disastrous level if Khaleda Zia is convicted, no matter whether BNP announces any formal action programme or not. I think the verdict will be delivered on the basis of political considerations, in a bid to keep her out of the next polls, he added.
The BNP chairperson has already called a meeting of
her partys standing committee, the partys highest policymaking body, today (Saturday) to discuss the latest political situation. The meeting will be held at 8:30pm at Khaledas Gulshan political office in Dhaka. The meeting is likely to discuss the February 8 verdict.
Awami League leaders feared that the BNP would try to create anarchy if the verdict went against Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman. But they are ready to deploy law enforcement agencies to keep the situation under control.
Talking to this correspondent, several Awami League leaders said if BNP-Jamaat leaders and workers try to foment trouble after the verdict, they would be tackled on the streets with the help of law enforcers. Senior AL leader and home minister Assaduzzaman Khan Kamal has already issued a warning, saying if the BNP resorted to violence, strict action would be taken.
He also said: Everyone is the same in the eyes of the law. If the court finds Khaleda Zia and her son guilty in the case, they would be punished. The Awami League and its government have nothing to do with it.
When contacted, AL presidium member Kazi Zafarullah said the law would take its own course. But if BNP-Jamaat activists try to hamper normal life and destroy property, our law enforcers will take care of them, he added.
In July 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Ramna Police Station, accusing Khaleda Zia, BNPs senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk. 2.10 crore that had come as grants for orphans from a foreign bank.
The two other accused are Mominur Rahman, son of the BNP chiefs sister, and Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, then principal secretary to Khaleda Zia.
