Current Affairs
More than a Tragedy
Jatiya Party’s participation in the four-party government is aimed at making it look participatory. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activists who have been agitating on the streets for the installation of a non-party caretaker government have a reason to celebrate on November 17. A court ruling unexpectedly cleared BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, elder son of Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia, of money laundering charges that involved Tk 20.41 crore.
Pro- BNP lawyers brought out a jubilant procession at the court premises immediately after the verdict. BNP leaders and supporters brought out rallies in many parts of the country to celebrate the acquittal. BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and many pro-BNP lawyers did not waste time to claim that the court ruling proved that all the cases filed against Khaleda and Tarique were false and fabricated.
Did the judgement annoy the policymakers of the government and the ruling Awami League (AL)?
What could have happened had Tarique been convicted like his businessman friend Giasuddin Al Mamun who was awarded seven-year jail in the same case? Diehard supporters of Tarique and opposition activists would have waged violent protests, vandalised and torched vehicles. The BNP would have enforced hartal. Khaleda Zia would have reacted sharply. The already heated political situation would have become even hotter.
Ahead of the general election, the government policymakers did not want any unrest. Certainly, they want a smooth and non-violent journey towards the election which is set to be held amid a boycott by the BNP-led alliance. The verdict therefore, offered some comfort to the government and the ruling AL, as all the prevailing signs suggest that nothing can be more important to them than the general election.
Tarique's acquittal in the money laundering case does not mean that he is now free from court proceedings. More than a dozen other cases against him remain pending. His acquittal, however, has surprised many of those who were almost certain that the BNP vice-chairman would be convicted in the money laundering case. A US FBI agent's statement in a court in Dhaka also consolidated their beliefs. The FBI agent testified, a first for Bangladesh, how she had tracked down the money allegedly laundered by Tarique, also senior vice-chairman of the BNP, and Mamun to a bank account in Singapore.
The court has certainly delivered the verdict on the merit of the case. But the acquittal of Tarique sparked questions in the public mind and even among many BNP leaders whether there was a secret deal between the government and the BNP.
The drama unfolded further in the evening of November 17 when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban and discussed formation of the election time cabinet as per her proposal. As the night deepened, it became clearer that the premier had finalised her game plan. News quickly spread that five leaders of Jatiya Party were going to be inducted into Hasina's cabinet as ministers. Next day, the president appointed three JP leaders as ministers and two as state ministers. The premier has appointed one JP leader as her adviser with status of a minister. Another JP leader has already been in her cabinet since January 2009.
It is clear that Hasina is going to bank on former military dictator HM Ershad's party to overcome the election hurdle amidst a near certain boycott by the BNP-led opposition alliance. So, now she needs an opposition party to fight her AL-led alliance to give credibility to the general election.
In line with the strategy, Ershad, the deposed autocrat, has quit the AL-led grand alliance and announced to join the next parliamentary election. He has already moved to forge an alliance with some Islamic parties and some other small parties.
In view of political analysts, Jatiya Party's participation in the polls will strengthen the government's efforts to some extent to make the election look participatory and credible. In that case of Jatiya Party's refusal to join the polls will damage the government's all efforts.
The then BNP-led government held a one-sided and controversial election on February 15, 1996 boycotted by AL, Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and other parties. The election suffered from credibility and the parliament formed through the polls got less than two week life.
If finally the election is held with the participation of JP and if it is boycott by the BNP-led alliance, it will be like 1986 parliamentary election held under military ruler HM Ershad. The then regime held the election to get legitimacy. The BNP and some other political parties boycotted the election to intensify anti-Ershad agitation. But AL, under the leadership of Hasina and some others, opted for joining the election, which Jatiya Party led by Ershad won.
The parliament formed through the election passed the constitution's seventh amendment bill validating and indemnifying all actions of the Ershad regime. It lasted for two years.
After around 27 years, it is now Ershad's turn to do something for Hasina by joining the election amid a boycott by the BNP-led opposition parties.
If it finally happens, no one should be surprised if deposed military dictator Ershad emerges as the leader of the opposition in the new Jatiya Sangsad.
If so, this will be worse ever tragedy in the country's parliamentary democracy, which was restored in 1991 after ousting Ershad, who grabbed power in a military coup overthrowing an elected government in 1982. The deposed dictator will have a smile of victory, thanks to the AL-led government's desperation to cling to power.
And what if the Jatya Party wins the election? Can you imagine such a situation?
The writer is Senior Reporter, The Daily Star.
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