Hasan’s security upped as eyes fixed on him

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Amid heightened anxiety in the people’s minds with the ruling and opposition alliances preparing to face off in the streets, it now depends on Justice KM Hasan where the country’s politics will be heading for from next week.

In the wake of the opposition combine’s threat to launch agitation against Justice Hasan’s assuming office as the chief adviser to the next caretaker government on expiry of the present government’s tenure next Friday, the government yesterday beefed up security for the former chief justice.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday deployed 12 personnel of the armed police battalion at Hasan’s residence in addition to eight policemen stationed earlier. Different intelligence agencies are also maintaining close vigilance, police administration sources said.

The possibility of forging a consensus in the ongoing dialogue between the ruling BNP and main opposition Awami League (AL) over Justice Hasan is diminishing fast due to the rigid stances of the two parties.

Meanwhile, the Bangabhaban, office and residence of the president, and the cabinet division are preparing for administering the oath of the next caretaker government.

Although the date for oath-taking is yet to be fixed, sources in the Bangabhaban and cabinet division said it will take place any day of the next week after the president invites Justice Hasan to take oath as the chief of the interim government.

But nothing is certain about the formation of the caretaker government as the ruling BNP is still favouring Justice Hasan to be its chief while the AL-led opposition combine has been vehemently opposing his appointment.

The position of Justice Hasan, who has maintained silence over the controversy, is expected to become clear only after the president invites him to take oath as the chief adviser.

Speculations, however, are mounting over whether he will accept the post or not.

Some eminent persons from political and cultural arena, who have been trying to convince Justice Hasan not to accept the post of the caretaker government chief, have failed to guess his next course of action, sources said.

Many political analysts believe that Justice Hasan will not accept the offer sensing an imminent political confrontation, but others think that he might take the job as a challenge to prove his capability and neutrality.

“I do not see any ray of hope in the prevailing volatile political situation as both BNP and Awami League are preparing to confront each other. Everything now depends on Justice Hasan,” former adviser to the caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan told The Daily Star yesterday.

The AL-led opposition combine launches a fresh spell of agitation programmes today opposing Justice Hasan’s assuming office as the caretaker chief. It has also threatened to launch massive street agitations with oars and poles if Justice Hasan takes oath.

To counter the opposition, the ruling BNP also plans to take control of the streets at any cost and has already applied for permission to have Paltan Maidan as the venue for its October 27-29 programmes.

Meanwhile, the dialogue between BNP and AL secretaries general resumes tomorrow in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who returned home from Saudi Arabia yesterday, will finalise her party’s decision over the issue of Justice Hasan, which BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan will convey to AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil in the one-to-one parley.

Legal experts said whatever the outcome of the dialogue be, the president will invite Justice Hasan to take oath as the caretaker government chief. If Justice Hasan declines to accept the post, the president will go for the second alternative to appoint the chief of the caretaker government.

Meanwhile, Jalil yesterday consulted with Gono Forum President and eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain legal aspects of the complications in the caretaker government issue.

The two also discussed legal aspects of the electoral reforms dialogue and their future steps in case it fails, Jalil told reporters after the meeting.

Gono Forum leader Pankaj Bhattacharjee and Samyabadi Dal chief Dilip Barua were also present at the meeting.

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