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Analysis
Bangladesh
Politics ‘Minus Two’ Phase Two
By
Col. Rahul K. Bhonsle
Immediately after imposition of Emergency, in January 2007, the Caretaker
Administration in Bangladesh was accused of attempting to keep the two prima
donnas of Bangla politics, Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina out of the country.
Hasina who was then in the USA and UK was stopped from boarding a return
flight in London, while Khaleda was to go to Saudi Arabia. Thus the term,
“minus two” was coined in Bangla politics.
The efforts of the Administration then failed primarily due to international
pressures including Saudi Arabia which claimed it did not want a reluctant
Khaleda on its soil, burdened as it was with the presence of another
powerful South Asian exile, Nawaz Sharif then. The overwhelming welcome
accorded to Sheikh Hasina by her party men on return to the country
indicated that the policy was not popular.
Minus Two is again coming into the political lexicon of Bangladesh
ironically with the Caretaker Administration commencing dialogue with the
political parties. The process commenced with the chief adviser, Fakhruddin
Ahmed, lifting restrictions on ‘indoor’ politics across the country on 12
May, holding elections to the 9th Jatiya Sangsad in the 3rd week of December
and beginning dialogue with the political parties from May 22.
The dialogue between the administration and political parties was primarily
for examining options for review of the constitution to bring about
qualitative changes in ‘governance and politics’. The government invited 19
political parties to the dialogues. This included Awami League, Jatiya
Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Liberal Democratic Party, Unity for Political
Reforms, Bangladesh Nationalist Party [mainstream], Islami Shasantantra
Andolan, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Khelafat Andolan, Khelafat Majlish,
BNP’s splinter group, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of
Bangladesh, Gana Forum, Samyabadi Dal, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League. ‘Matters related to review of the
constitutional provisions – for possible adoption by the parliament – have
been discussed at the meeting’, commerce adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman told
a joint press briefing after the first meeting in the series with Workers
Party of Bangladesh. Earlier the army headquarters on 6 May had announced
that it had no intention or desire whatsoever to participate in the planned
dialogue between the caretaker government and political parties.
In the light of her continued detention, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia
conferred authority on the party secretary general, Khandaker Delwar Hossain,
to take final decisions on party matters, ‘The BNP is now running under the
leadership of Khandaker Delwar Hossain and all issues of the party,
including its unity, will be subject to his decision,’ Shamsur Rahman Shimul
Biswas, one of her attorneys, quoting Khaleda.
The atmosphere for dialogues was however vitiated with a series of measures
which seemed to be taken with the purpose of denying participation to Sheikh
Hasina and Begum Khaleda. This was obvious with the trial of the detained
former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and seven others in the barge-mounted
power plant case beginning on 21 May. The Anti-Corruption Commission also
approved submission of the charge sheet against the detained former prime
minister Khaleda Zia, eight of her cabinet colleagues, including Saifur
Rahman and Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, her youngest son Arafat Rahman and 14
others in the GATCO scam case on 8 May.
‘The commission approved the submission of the charge sheet pressing charges
against the 24 for the award of a contract to an incompetent and unfit firm,
Global Agro Trade Company, to handle containers at the Inland Container
Depot in Dhaka and at Chittagong port allegedly for bribe incurring a loss
of more than Tk 14.56 Crore to the state exchequer,’ the commission’s
spokesman Hanif Iqbal said at a briefing. In another related development on
18 May night former industries minister and chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami
Bangladesh, Matiur Rahman Nizami was arrested at his Bara Maghbazar
apartment. Metropolitan sessions judge Azizul Haque on May 15 ordered his
arrest as an accused in the GATCO graft case.
A B M S Zahur a former joint secretary, writing in the Daily Star comments,
“The aim of the Caretaker Government in Bangladesh seems to be following a
two track policy, political dialogue at one end and prosecution on various
charges on the other. This is obvious with the opening moves of dialogue
while at the same time proceeding with the court cases expeditiously. The
situation may be controlled until there is some reaction from the grass
roots. Only in case this is strong will the governments relent against the
two leaders”. [http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=37406].
While the dialogue with the political parties has begun, the key to any
political talks in Bangladesh are the two main parties, the Awami League and
the Bangladesh National Party. Talks with these two parties will determine
the course ahead for return of democracy to Dacca. The parallel track
followed by the government of checking corruption through arrests of the two
main leaders, Hasina and Khaleda may be useful in as much as sending a
message is concerned. It is unlikely that without the active participation
of these two, there would be political stability within their parties as
well as in general.
Most people believe that Minus Two politics is the aim of the Caretaker
Administration supported by the army. The manner in which the two principal
party leaders, Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda have been targeted in
corruption charges, this allegation may appear to be true. However as there
are no alternate leaders which have been thrown up by the system so far, the
efforts seem to be to conduct local and upazila elections before National
elections in Bangladesh, so that at least some alternate leadership emerges.
Commenting on the indispensability of the two ladies in Bangla politics
Zahur writes, “Whatever we say about these ladies, the people who are deeply
attached to the two major political parties may never leave them, because
they are aware of the contributions made by the two ladies in consolidating
their respective parties. Thus, it is difficult to ignore them for the
dialogue. However, this does not mean that these ladies are above the law.
Rule of law must equally be applied to them”.
June 2, 2008
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