Govt’s ‘minus two’ plan faces crucial tests in next few days

Trackback URL

Download PDF

The next few days will be crucial for Bangladesh and are expected to be full of suspense, as the military backed interim government’s new ‘minus two’ formula of politics will be tested through its success or failure in keeping and sending the two most prominent political leaders into exiles.

The tripartite battle reached a new level as Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed her adamance about returning home on Monday while BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s exile to Saudi Arabia still seems imminent despite filing of a petition with the High Court against the government’s move.

The caretaker government is determined to block Hasina’s return while the authorities concerned are busy with negotiating as well as completing the formalities to send Khaleda to Saudi Arabia.

Sheikh Hasina, who flew to London yesterday from the USA, announced her plan to arrive in Dhaka on April 23 defying the government’s multi-faceted manoeuvring to keep her in exile. But she runs the risk of getting arrested on arrival on charges of taking a bribe in connection with a private power plant deal nine years ago while she was the prime minister. She also faces murder charges in connection with the deaths of six people in political street violence on October 28 last year.

Meanwhile, Khaleda Zia is expected to fly to Jeddah before Sunday along with most of her family members following a deal she made with the government soon after her younger son Arafat Rahman had been detained by the army-led joint forces at midnight on April 15, to be released later on his mother’s acquiescence to going into exile.

Her elder son and BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, who is currently in prison, is expected to join the family in Jeddah later.

There are differing information about the reason for the delay in Khaleda Zia’s departure according to a source she is ‘buying time’ through different pleas, while another source claimed that the Saudi embassy in Dhaka did not issue visas for her and her family members yet as it has yet to receive a clearance from its government.

But a highly placed source in the government confirmed that the delay in the coming of the clearance from the Saudi government is the main reason for the delay in Khaleda’s departure. The source also said the filing of a habeas corpus petition with the High Court in favour of Khaleda Zia, will not affect her departure to Saudi Arabia.

The government is in a hurry to send Khaleda Zia abroad and expecting to finally get rid of her by Sunday morning the latest as the High Court is due to hear the petition tomorrow, the source added.

A top level official of the government on condition of anonymity told The Daily Star yesterday that the entire game plan of the government might be jeopardised if the court takes a stand in favour of the petition.

Meanwhile the British Airways already informed Sheikh Hasina that it will not be possible for the airliner to fly her from London to Dhaka due to the Bangladesh government’s instructions given to all Dhaka-bound airlines, sources said.

A competent source close to Hasina told The Daily Star that an official of the British Airways informed her that the airliner will not be able to issue a boarding pass for her because of the Bangladesh government’s restriction.

The airliner informed Hasina about its inability to fly her to Dhaka during her travel to London from Dulles Airport in Washington DC on April 18.

AL sources said they came to know that Hasina will attempt to return home and go to Heathrow Airport as per her travel schedule. The British Aiways flight is due to depart Heathrow on Sunday at 9:30pm (BDT) and arrive in Dhaka on Monday morning.

The sources said Hasina will be staying in London for some days if finally she is not allowed to travel to Dhaka, and then she will move back to the US next month to be with her daughter who is expecting a baby in July.

Leave a Reply