Editorial
A legal battle takes to the street
Khaleda should have been allowed to stay till the Supreme Court hearing
In an instance of impatience, leading to political ineptitude, a strong legal and moral case has been transformed into a street battle, to the advantage of BNP. As the case stands the High Court's one-month notice expired on the 12th of November. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has accepted a 'leave to appeal' and fixed 29th of the same month to hear her case. Though both the attorney general and the law minister said that since the Supreme Court did not 'stay' the HC order, it means that Khaleda Zia must vacate the house immediately.
Our common sense view, however, is to the contrary. Since the Supreme Court has accepted the appeal and a hearing is in offing, it is only logical that status quo should have prevailed and forcible implementation of the HC verdict held in abeyance till the Supreme Court hearing.
That is precisely why the government should have waited for, what amounts to be a mere two weeks before going for action as it did yesterday. Without waiting, and forcing Khaleda to quit her house, and that also just a few days before Eid, the government has lost what was a solid legal and moral case and gave advantage to the opposition to look like a case of political vengeance. Khaleda's tearful press conference was a measure of emotive nature of things.
While we totally disagree with the way Khaleda Zia was forced out of her house, we are of the firm view that the BNP chief should have long returned to the public a property that was given to her and her family during a very tragic moment in their lives when her husband was murdered and her two sons were under-aged. A lot had happened since. She has twice been elected PM and her two sons are no more dependent on her, to say the least. Time had long matured when Khaleda Zia should have voluntarily returned the two houses to the public with a message of grateful thanks for coming to her rescue at a moment of her extreme vulnerability.
Regrettably, Begum Zia started thinking of the gift as her right. And that is where she made a vital error and embarked on a course of action that finally rudely awakened her with the HC verdict. She has herself to blame for her clinging on to a public property to which she had no moral right.
The government's impatience and ineptitude will cost it some public support and give the opposition an edge, which the BNP seems determined to lose by calling for a hartal when people are so eager to return home for Eid.
Government's action of yesterday was crude, uncivil and unnecessary. BNP's hartal call is unthinking. However, it will be the public who will have to pay for their errors.
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