B’desh to lift ban on indoor political activity

BANGLADESH: Bangladesh’s Election Commission is considering partially lifting a ban on political activity by allowing parties to hold indoor rallies.

“The ban on indoor politics might be lifted by May 8,” election commissioner Sakhawat Hussain told reporters.

The army-backed interim government imposed a ban on outdoor political activity on Jan. 11 after announcing a state of emergency following widespread violence. On March 8 they extended the ban to include indoor rallies as well.

The election chief said that after the resumption of indoor political activity the commission would hold meetings on its reforms agenda with the major political parties.

The commission plans to refix election expenses by each candidate at 500,000 taka from 300,000 taka currently. But the parties want it raised to 1.0 million taka, commission officials said. Other reforms on the cards includes barring candidates from contesting more than two constituencies against five now, and using photographs of dead party icons in election posters.

An election planned for January 22 was postponed indefinitely after the imposition of emergency rule.——

Meanwhile Bangladesh’s last premier Khaleda Zia has packed her bags for an imminent departure into exile, a source close to the family said, the day after her arch rival was barred from returning to the country.

Zia and her long-time adversary Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the head of the Awami League and also a former prime minister, are being forced out as part of a corruption crackdown by emergency-ruled Bangladesh’s interim government.

Sheikh Hasina, who was charged in absentia with involvement in political killings, was on Sunday stopped from boarding a flight from London’s Heathrow airport to Dhaka — in line with a government order for her to stay abroad. A court in Dhaka on Monday suspended a warrant for her arrest in connection with the killings to give officers more time to investigate — a legal procedure that does not signal any change in the decision to keep her in exile.

A source close to Zia’s family meanwhile told AFP that Zia’s belongings stood packed and ready at her residence in Dhaka where she has been under virtual house arrest for the past week.

“Everything has been packed up in boxes. It is all waiting to be moved,” said the source.

The family, including her daughter-in-laws and three grandchildren, remained at the house and were awaiting news from the government, said the source, who asked not to be named. The Bengali-language daily Naya Diganta, which is close to Zia’s political circle, meanwhile said there was still “uncertainty about Khalada Zia going to Saudi Arabia” as authorities had planned.

“The visa activities and other related activities have not yet been completed,” said the paper, which supports the Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami — the main ally of Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Reports over the weekend had said visa arrangements were close to being finalised and that a specially chartered plane has been waiting at Dhaka airport to take her to Saudi Arabia.

But the paper quoted a government source saying that if visas for Saudi Arabia are not secured for Zia and her family, other countries would also be considered — including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Singapore.

“The officers have not yet come to her house. She was told to pack up, but there are still some visa complications,” another source close to the family said. Zia is reported to have agreed to leave the country in return for leniency for her two sons.

Dhaka, Tuesday, Reuters, AFP.