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Download PDF A Dhaka court yesterday sent BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to jail and placed her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko on a seven-day remand a couple of hours after they were arrested on graft charges at their cantonment residence.
The arrests followed close on the heels of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) filing the first graft case against the former premier and her son after the state of emergency came into force on January 11.
In the case filed with the Tejgaon Police Station late on Sunday night, Khaleda, her son and 11 others were charged with violating tender conditions in appointing an indenting house for container handling.
The joint forces hauled them in a little after 7:30am, and took them straight to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) Court, Dhaka at 8:05am.
At the court premises, Khaleda’s lawyers in her presence announced that BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Joint Secretary General Ashraf Hossain have been expelled for “attempts to split the party in the name of reforms with support from the government”.
Like her archrival Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina who was arrested on extortion charges on July 16, Khaleda too was sent to a special jail set up in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex.
Since the present military-backed caretaker government assumed power in January, the going has got tough for both the leaders who had run the country alternately for the last 15 years and boast a past of nine years’ vigorous street agitations against military ruler HM Ershad.
In the event of conviction, they will be disqualified from contesting the next parliamentary election planned to be held within December 2008.
Soon after declaration of the state of emergency, it has been widely discussed that the two might be forced to quit politics for alleged abuse of power and corruption.
But lately many have been questioning the government’s approach to its anti-graft drive, as it was yet to take action against Khaleda long after detaining Hasina and having at least four cases filed against her.
Appearing before the crowded courtroom, the BNP chief protested her innocence and described the case against her and Koko as false and part of a conspiracy against her party and family. She sought bail for her and Koko in line with the submissions made by their counsels earlier.
Law Adviser Mainul Hosein, however, rejected Khaleda’s allegation and said, “Arrests of the two former prime ministers have proved that the present government is not biased towards any party.”
The mother and son, who once were considered to be dwelling somewhere high above the law, looked gloomy while in the dock.
Khaleda was brought in an ash Nissan Patrol while Koko in a red Pajero amid tight security measures along the stretch between their Shahid Moinul Road residence and the court.
In a white chiffon saree, Khaleda however smiled and waved outside the courtroom. At that time, a group of party faithful were chanting slogans.
Meanwhile, sources in the administration said that more graft cases would soon be filed against her.
According to the BNP constitution, she will be disqualified from holding the party chief’s post and retaining the membership if she is convicted of graft.
Immediately after the court orders, the security forces whisked her off to the makeshift jail. This is for the first time she has landed in a prison in a political career spanning over two decades.
Late president Ziaur Rahman who founded the BNP in 1978 after taking over state power as a military ruler won public support for what many political observers say his stance against corruption. But the image of his widowed wife, who ruled the country for 10 years since restoration of democracy in a mass upsurge in 1990, has been tainted by corruption allegations.
During her last stint as the prime minister, many of the party lawmakers and leaders had allegedly been involved in massive corruption and made a huge wealth.
The country’s political situation turned volatile in October last year as the BNP-led four-party alliance tried desperately to hold the ninth parliament election despite the AL-led grand alliance’s decision to boycott the polls that they viewed were designed to bring BNP and allies back to power.
Amid violence and chaos on the streets, President Iajuddin Ahmed, who assumed the office of the chief adviser sidestepping various constitutional options, stood aside as the caretaker government chief on January 11. He declared the state of emergency and postponed the election scheduled for January 22.
Fakhruddin Ahmed took the reins with a promise to rid politics of corruption before holding the stalled parliamentary election. In February, his administration launched a crackdown on graft suspects and began rounding up the political and business heavy weights on charge of corruption.
LEGAL PROCEDURE
Opposing Khaleda’s plea for bail, Assistant Commissioner (prosecution) Maqbul Hossain Khan yesterday told the court that it is a very sensitive case and so she should be confined to jail till the investigation is completed.
He also petitioned the court to place Koko on a 10-day remand.
Hearing both the sides, Magistrate ABM Abdul Fattah rejected the bail prayer and sent her to jail. He also placed Koko on a seven-day remand in police custody.
Khaleda’s other son, Tarique Rahman, who was perceived to be the most powerful man during the last BNP government, has already been detained on graft charges.
The assistant commissioner (prosecution) told the court that an application for bringing the case under the emergency power rules has been in process at the home ministry.
Once the case is brought under the emergency power rules, Khaleda will not be entitled to bail, and she will be ineligible to contest the polls if found guilty by a trial court.
The same day the investigation officer of the case submitted a petition seeking permission to carry out a search of the cantonment residence. In response, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jalal Ahmed assigned Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ashrafuddin to conduct the search.
Earlier, the assistant commissioner (prosecution) placed the case dockets and read out the charges brought in the first information report (FIR) and the forwarding report.
Moving the petitions for bail and cancellation of the remand prayer, the counsels for Khaleda and Koko told the court that the two have been implicated as part of a conspiracy to harass them.
GOVT ACTIONS AGAINST HER
On June 12, Khaleda, Tarique Rahman and 12 other BNP leaders, who were directors of Daily Dinkal Limited, were sued for not submitting service returns of the daily for the past several years.
Under the Income Tax Ordinance, 1984, the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the NBR had earlier asked the banks to provide it along with bank account information of Khaleda and 10 of her family members.
Finally on August 29, the NBR asked all banks to freeze the accounts of the former prime minister, her son Koko and nine others of her family.
Sources said the government is preparing to file a case over Khaleda’s wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which has gross anomalies.
The NBR recently allowed Khaleda to legalise Tk 1.30 crore undisclosed money on payment of Tk 33 lakh tax but rejected Tarique and Koko’s bid to legalise Tk 18 lakh and Tk 1.5 crore respectively by paying a total tax and fine of Tk 44 lakh.
Earlier, the High Court quashed two graft cases against Khaleda Zia filed during the AL regime regarding decoration of her house and airbus purchase.
PAST SEVEN MONTHS OF KHALEDA
Khaleda, who ruled the country for a maximum period as prime minister and run the party with an iron fist, became isolated within the party as most of the senior BNP leaders started keeping away from her since the beginning of the crackdown on the political bigwigs.
After the declaration of state of emergency, Khaleda kept running party activities from Hawa Bhaban, popularly known as the alternative powerhouse during the BNP regime, until slapping of the ban on indoor politics on March 7.
Next, she was reportedly put under pressure to leave the country, but later she changed her mind and decided to face the situation.
In June, BNP leaders led by Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan came up with a set of reform proposals with a provision to exclude Khaleda from the helm of the party.
In the face of challenges from senior party leaders, Khaleda started holding teleconferences with other party leaders and activists within the country and overseas, urging them to be united against any ‘conspiracy’ against BNP.
Earlier in May, Khaleda cancelled her Singapore trip for medical check-up as her younger son Koko was sued for extortion and was barred to leave the country.
Most recently, she was not allowed to visit the grave of late president Ziaur Rahman on the occasion of founding anniversary of BNP on September 1.
KHALEDA’S HEALTH CONDITION
Khaleda Zia is physically fit now, DIG (Prison) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told a private television channel yesterday.
He also said that after arriving at the sub-jail, Khaleda took a cup of tea and then went to take rest.
In the sub-jail, she would be provided with four newspapers to read and a colour television to watch Bangladesh Television, the state owned television channel, the DIG said.
Replying to another query, he said that both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina would receive same facilities in the sub-jails.
September 5th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
As a non poltical Muslim, I will never be happy to see any one in trouble or distress.
But what had saddened the whole Nation, that both
these ladies did not live up the expectation of people.
They never thought of the contry’s progress ,
Both Sheikh Mujib & Ziaur Rahman had honest ideas
but they have been defamed by their family members. If you ask every one of their honest opinion, they all will answer :they both were
dishonest in their thought & action, drowned in their dirty political tug of wars.
Ruined the national economy ,runied their family
reputation & ruined their political power.
May ALLAH protect us all from these evil powers!