BNP worried over leadership in event of Khaleda conviction

The BNP’s grassroots leaders and activists are concerned over the future leadership of the party in case of chairperson Khaleda Zia’s conviction in the two graft cases that are currently under trial.
Questioning the motive behind the cases, they harbour apprehensions that Khaleda might be convicted in the cases and sent to jail and barred from contesting the elections after being disqualified. This, in turn, would result in another lopsided polls like the January 5 general elections.  
Senior party leaders and her lawyers, however, said they are not worried about the consequences of the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases as they see no merit in the cases. Rather, they expressed their firm determination to fight the situation both legally and politically. 
President of the Syedpur (organisational) district unit of the BNP, Abdul Gafur Sarker, said, “The government wants to hold another January 5 polls by stripping the BNP of its leadership. After filing cases against Khaleda Zia on the basis of false allegations, the government is now going ahead with a plan to force the BNP into a corner by keeping the chairperson out of elections,” he alleged.   
The president of the Bhola district unit of the BNP, Golam Nabi Alamgir, alleged that the trial proceedings of the two cases are being expedited as part of the government strategy to keep the BNP leadership under pressure and cornered so that the party activists become frightened and frustrated. 
He, however, thinks that the government—which he claimed had come to power through lopsided polls—would not take such a big risk as to hold another poll like the January 5 general elections by stripping the BNP of its leadership. 
BNP organising secretary (Dhaka division) Fazlul Haque Milon also termed the filing of what he termed “fake cases” against the chairperson as a tactic of the ruling Awami League. 
“They (the government) might have a wicked motive in filing the false and baseless cases against her (Khaleda) to hit at the party leadership. But it will not succeed,” he said. 
BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they are not worried about the leadership in case of Khaleda Zia’s conviction in the two cases. 
“If Khaleda Zia is convicted, she would become a hero before the people and they would stand beside the BNP. I think the Awami League won’t make such a mistake,” he said. 
The former minister said even if the chairperson is convicted, the party’s senior vice-chairman, Tarique Rahman, and other senior leaders would steer the party. Tarique, who is now in London in self-imposed exile, has been sentenced by the higher court for seven years in a money laundering case. 

Replying to a question, he said there would be no leadership crisis in case of the conviction of Khaleda and even if the senior leaders of the party are arrested. 
Another standing committee member, Nazrul Islam Khan, said they do not think that there would be any problem as there is no merit in the cases. “We are not worried about it though the government is behaving in a vindictive manner,” he said. 
Khaleda’s lawyer, Advocate Sanaullah Miah, questioned the motive behind the cases, saying that this was why the government’s lawyers were seeking dates each week.  “The proceedings of the cases are going at an abnormal speed due to the interference of a powerful quarter,” he said, adding that it seems that “the government’s intention is not good.”  
Replying to a question, he said whatever the consequences of the cases, they would fight it both legally and politically. 
He said a total of 34 cases has been filed against the BNP chairperson. The other cases are pending with the lower courts. 
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, however, termed the allegations of expediting the trial proceedings as false, saying that the proceedings were started in 2008 and are still continuing. “There is no pressure from the government or ACC,” he added.  
Meanwhile, Khaleda on February 8 filed a petition with the High Court to change the trial court for the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, expressing lack of confidence in the judge of Special Judges Court-3 on different grounds. The HC is scheduled to hear the petition tomorrow. 
In 2008, the ACC filed the case against Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others for allegedly embezzling Tk. 21 million from funds meant for the trust, which reportedly came from a foreign bank.  The ACC also filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case accusing four people, including Zia, in August 2011, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources allegedly by abusing power. 
The court framed charge-sheets in connection with these cases in March 2014. If found guilty, Khaleda could be jailed for life. 

BNP worried over leadership in event of Khaleda conviction

The BNPs grassroots leaders and activists are concerned over the future leadership of the party in case of chairperson Khaleda Zias conviction in the two graft cases that are currently under trial. Questioning the motive behind the cases, they harbour apprehensions that Khaleda might be convicted in the cases and sent to jail and barred from contesting the elections after being disqualified. This, in turn, would result in another lopsided polls like the January 5 general elections. Senior party leaders and her lawyers, however, said they are not worried about the consequences of the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases as they see no merit in the cases. Rather, they expressed their firm determination to fight the situation both legally and politically. President of the Syedpur (organisational) district unit of the BNP, Abdul Gafur Sarker, said, The government wants to hold another January 5 polls by stripping the BNP of its leadership. After filing cases against Khaleda Zia on the basis of false allegations, the government is now going ahead with a plan to force the BNP into a corner by keeping the chairperson out of elections, he alleged. The president of the Bhola district unit of the BNP, Golam Nabi Alamgir, alleged that the trial proceedings of the two cases are being expedited as part of the government strategy to keep the BNP leadership under pressure and cornered so that the party activists become frightened and frustrated. He, however, thinks that the governmentwhich he claimed had come to power through lopsided pollswould not take such a big risk as to hold another poll like the January 5 general elections by stripping the BNP of its leadership. BNP organising secretary (Dhaka division) Fazlul Haque Milon also termed the filing of what he termed fake cases against the chairperson as a tactic of the ruling Awami League. They (the government) might have a wicked motive in filing the false and baseless cases against her (Khaleda) to hit at the party leadership. But it will not succeed, he said. BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they are not worried about the leadership in case of Khaleda Zias conviction in the two cases. If Khaleda Zia is convicted, she would become a hero before the people and they would stand beside the BNP. I think the Awami League wont make such a mistake, he said. The former minister said even if the chairperson is convicted, the partys senior vice-chairman, Tarique Rahman, and other senior leaders would steer the party. Tarique, who is now in London in self-imposed exile, has been sentencedby the higher court for seven years in a money laundering case. Replying to a question, he said there would be no leadership crisis in case of the conviction of Khaleda and even if the senior leaders of the party are arrested. Another standing committee member, Nazrul Islam Khan, said they do not think that there would be any problem as there is no merit in the cases. We are not worried about it though the government is behaving in a vindictive manner, he said. Khaledas lawyer, Advocate Sanaullah Miah, questioned the motive behind the cases, saying that this was why the governments lawyers were seeking dates each week. The proceedings of the cases are going at an abnormal speed due to the interference of a powerful quarter, he said, adding that it seems that the governments intention is not good. Replying to a question, he said whatever the consequences of the cases, they would fight it both legally and politically. He said a total of 34 cases has been filed against the BNP chairperson. The other cases are pending with the lower courts. Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, however, termed the allegations of expediting the trial proceedings as false, saying that the proceedings were started in 2008 and are still continuing. There is no pressure from the government or ACC, he added. Meanwhile, Khaleda on February 8 filed a petition with the High Court to change the trial court for the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, expressing lack of confidence in the judge of Special Judges Court-3 on different grounds. The HC is scheduled to hear the petition tomorrow. In 2008, the ACC filed the case against Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others for allegedly embezzling Tk. 21 million from funds meant for the trust, which reportedly came from a foreign bank. The ACC also filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case accusing four people, including Zia, in August 2011, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources allegedly by abusing power. The court framed charge-sheets in connection with these cases in March 2014. If found guilty, Khaleda could be jailedfor life.