B’desh moves on two ex-leaders in corruption clean up
BANGLADESH: Bangladesh moved against the leaders of its two
main political parties, both former prime ministers, as it intensified
efforts to clean up the nation’s famously corrupt politics.
In a dawn raid, hundreds of police and special forces swooped on the
Dhaka home of Sheikh Hasina Wajed and carried her off to jail on charges
of extortion that she has repeatedly denied.
The arrest sparked an angry showdown with supporters of Sheikh Hasina,
who ruled the impoverished country from 1996 to 2001, that saw police
open fire with tear gas and rubber bullets as she left court after her
hearing.
Hours later, the military-backed emergency government summoned the
most recent elected prime minister — Sheikh Hasina’s bitter rival
Khaleda Zia — to appear in court next month to answer tax evasion
allegations.
Sheikh Hasina and Zia, dubbed the “battling begums”, ruled
alternately from 1991 to 2006 and stand accused of misrule that brought
the country to the brink of anarchy earlier this year.
The army-backed emergency government took power in January, after
violent protests by supporters of the two women forced elections to be
cancelled.
It attempted to exile both in April as part of its efforts to reshape
Bangladesh politics, before later abandoning the plan.
The authorities have vowed to clean up the country’s politics before
holding new elections in December 2008.
Sheikh Hasina dismissed the charges against her in court as “false,
fabricated and conspiratorial,” her lawyer Kamrul Islam told AFP.
Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajid Wajed Joy, condemned the arrest.
“It is a conspiracy against her and against democracy,” he told the
Bangla Vision television network by telephone from the United States.
“We need to fight like we did in 1971 against this government to free
her and establish democracy in the country,” he said, referring to
Bangladesh’s war of independence against Pakistan.
A string of charges have been filed against her in recent months,
including murder allegations related to the death of four people in a
protest last October.
More than 150 high-profile politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats
have been arrested in the corruption crackdown. A handful have been
convicted by special fast-track courts and sentenced to between three
and 13 years in jail.
India meanwhile said Dhaka must ensure the “due process as
established by law” is not violated in its crackdown.
“We are closely monitoring the internal developments in Bangladesh
including arrests of high level politicians,” Indian foreign ministry
spokesman Navtej Sarna said.“In all such cases, it must be ensured that
there is no violation of due process as established by law and that
basic individual rights are fully respected,” he told reporters in New
Delhi.
“As a close and friendly neighbour, India would like to see a
peaceful, stable and liberal democratic Bangladesh,” Sarna added.
Meanwhile Zia, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP),
was summoned in a tax evasion case and told to appear in court by August
26.
“The Dhaka metropolitan magistrates’ court issued a summons on Monday
against Khaleda Zia and 10 others for failing to pay taxes for a company
that she owns,” said her lawyer Mohammad Sanaullah.
In April, Zia also appeared to be on the brink of being exiled to
Saudi Arabia, but those moves also fell through.
Her influential elder son Tareque Rahman has been in custody since
March on corruption charges.
Dhaka, Tuesday, AFP |