Khaleda Zia is the leader of the opposition in the parliament. As elected MP she is enjoying all facilities and privileges as the member of the parliament. She has abstained from Parliament and did not join the recent discussions and dialogues on the constitution amendment. She has declared actions for scrapping constitution provision of care taker government following the verdict of Supreme Court declaring it illegal. So her statement favoring continuation of Care Taker Government directly goes against highest court verdict. Any sensible citizen has legal and constitutional right to sue her for her statement. Khaleda perhaps forgot that her alliance had landslide disaster in election held under care taker government. In recent times in no election under present EU there have been any credible allegations of state interference. So her statement favoring CTG and her declaration of no election under EU is unconstitutional. BNP or any party may or may not participate in any or many elections. But in reality BNP does not have organizational strength to oppose any election.

Energy crisis, power and water crisis are fall out of Khaleda’s own failures. In her last term she did nothing to meet emerging massive deficits. The depth and diversity of the crisis is so acute that it is taking more than expected time. Khaleda if she is peoples leader must suggest how to improve the situation .Instead she has let out her B and C teams to oppose government initiatives to explore and exploit own resources.

Flying in and out of Shahjalal International Airport has now become risky for unplanned city growth. A carefully planned international airport at Suitable place can turn Bangladesh an important hub of global air links. Why Khaleda has to oppose the initiative for a new modern International Airport?

Why she should oppose special economic Zone in Sylhet if it creates massive job opportunity and ease massive trade imbalance with India?

Her declaration for not pursuing any further hartal type destructive program has not emanated from her love of people. She found that recent hartals apart from creating nuisances brought no mileage for her evil design. People not only responded but also resisted. Senior party leaders refused to join street agitations during hartal. But in any case we welcome her statement and hope that she remains true to it.

Present government has been voted to power through fair, free and credible general election for 5 years term . Despite some failures it is trying relentless to reconstruct Bangladesh that Khaleda government left behind in 1996. No one can bring any Khaleda Government type corruption against any. Government has initiated many milestone projects in Energy, Communication and other sectors. Relation with different countries including neighbors has started to improve. Many disputed issues with India are on the advanced stage of getting resolved. Teesta river water sharing treaty. Land boundary demarcation and exchange of enclaves may happen soon. India, Nepal, Bhutan may use Bangladesh ports. Several initiatives have been taken to ease grid locks in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Implementation of Dream Padma Bridge will start soon. Why leader of the opposition instead of raising her disapproval in the parliament is behaving like paper tiger on the street? Can she tell what Bangladesh looses in allowing transit for India through Bangladesh? Why Bangladesh must not utilize the opportunity of gaining economically from it? Why Khaleda is not placing her proposal for resolving issues with India in the parliament?

Present Government has advanced slowly but steadily on the trial process of criminals against humanity. It has surfaced involvement of her two sons in money siphoning, involvement of her eldest son in August 21 massacre. People understand her heart burning for protecting the corrupt syndicates, plotters and masterminds of terrorist activities of her time. But people fail to understand what she meant for upstaging a democratically elected government through Arab Awakening type movement.

Perhaps the little informed leader does not know Arab Awakening is staged against corrupt autocrat regimes which very cruelly are trying to suppress spontaneous people’s movement. When her own son’s area alleged in corrupt, money laundering and abetting killers and terrorists how she can lead any such movement against still a very popular government?

Rather people must join movement to bring back all criminals and corrupt element that have fled from Bangladesh after carrying out massive corruptions and siphoning off people’s money. People must rally around initiatives to try War criminals and masterminds of terrorist activities killing innocent people.

Khaleda must thank present government that if after acting like a novice and spreading hatred and venom against ruling government she is not being put behind the bar for voicing disapprovals of highest court verdict. She is better advised to join parliament and try to keep government honest through honest objective criticism. She must also come up with better alternative proposals in the parliament and wait till next general election for taking peoples verdict.

BNP Chairperson and leader of the opposition Mrs Khaleda Zia, widow of slain President General Ziaur Rahman, addressed a rally at Laldighi maidan on 29th March 2010. This is her first public appearance, after Mahajote Government’s assumption of power, on 39th anniversary of the glorious independence of our country on 26th march, a day which also saw the launch of the process of the much desired trial of war criminals. The meeting was peaceful as state took all required security measures to let the leader of the opposition criticise the government.

We can compare the similar situation on 21 August 2004 at Bangabandhu Avenue. The then leader of the opposition was addressing a similar anti government rally at the heart of the capital Dhaka only 500 meters away from Central secretariat. It is alleged that state sponsored terrorists almost killed Hasina hurling grenade and using snipper bullets. In that carnage a lot of party activists including wife of President Zillur Rahman got killed, hundreds of others including Hasina got injured. This comparison is given here to draw analogy between respective situations.

Madam Zia’s speech can be summarised below
• She termed the present government as lying, aggressive, efficient in signing agreements and prone to lodging cases.
• She alleged that PM during India visit has handed over Chittagong, Mongla Port and Corridor to India.
• She also claimed that some ambitious Army Officers with General Moin grabbed state power.
• She also claimed that Dr Fakhruddin and General Moinuddin set Awami League in state power.
• She also revealed that Care taker government plotted to send her abroad pushing sleeping injections in her veins.
• She also claimed that the government is corrupt from the top to the bottom.
• She also said media at home and abroad have said Zia is the announcer of liberation war.

We know every conscious citizen can make their own analysis of what Khaleda Zia said at a critical stage of national life. She is leader of the opposition in the parliament. The parliament is in session now. She does not attend parliament or attend in any proceedings off parliamentary activities. One must wonder, therefore, if she had credible supporting evidences to substantiate these claims, why she did not take these issues to the parliament!

For the sake of clarity, some parts of her speech demand further analysis. Present government has to deal with priority national issues with controlled aggression to confront crisis triggered from misruling of Khaleda-led-alliance government. This government is pledge-bound to citizens to try War criminals, terrorists and corruption-syndicates and that is why cases are given against them. Some of Khaleda Zia’s associates are making fabricated allegations. As a result, defamatory suits are being tried against them. Over the last few months, Government has signed some milestone agreements and initiated MOUs with two major regional powers India and China. Situation has been created to resolve many long outstanding issues and improve sour relations with neighbours. Bangladesh, a small country, can not keep its doors and windows shut for ever. PM Hsaina has been mandated to take such decisions and is accountable to the nation through sovereign parliament.

PM Hasina has done historic works in offering Chittagong and Mongla to India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. When this materializes, Bangladesh economy will get tremendous boost. PM has also removed bottlenecks to include Bangladesh in Asian Highway Network. It must not be narrowed down to offering transit only to India alone. Connectivity with Bhutan, Nepal and China are also included in PM Hasina vision.

General Moinuddin Ahmed and few Generals who backed care taker Government were beneficiaries of Khaleda-led-alliance-government. Khaleda made Moin Army Chief bypassing many senior quality Army officers. Another main Person General Masududdin Chowdhury is a close relative of Khaleda Zia. However the actions of these favoured generals stopped implementations of election engineering blue print of Alliance Government and saved the country from a possible civil war.

World Community and all conscious citizens know that election 209 was fair and free. No credible clues of election manipulations could be found by any local or foreign observers.

The allegations of Khaleda Zia about plot to send her abroad using sleeping injection must be investigated.

Her allegations against PM Hasina of Corruptions must also be investigated. If not found to have any evidence supporting the speech of Khaleda Zia, she must be asked to beg apology.
Zia is one of the several announcers of the liberation War on behalf of Bangbandhu. This does not make any difference to respective positions of Bangabandhu and one Ziaur Rahman. After historic speech of 7th March 1971 there was nothing left to formally announce commencement of liberation war. Yet the EPR Radio announced Bangabnadhu declaration from mid night of 25th March. Several other persons announced it through out March 26th. President Zia never claimed that he announced it.

What Khaleda did not say was how and why terrorists made Bangladesh a safe heaven during her regime, how so many Pakistani and Indian terrorist organisations could find shelter in Bangladesh to run operations in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries. She also did not mention why her government could not explore and exploit natural resources or set up power plants to meet growing energy crisis. She should have admitted her failures which are the main reasons why the country is facing power, water and gas crisis. She also did not mention why her government could not take required actions to find out the terrorists those killed ASM Kibria, Ahsanullah Master, some noted journalists in Khulna. Why she failed to track down terrorists who carried out operation killing mission to eliminate Hasina and other top Awami League leaders?

Our nation realises why she has started coming out of her nest now. She has to create situation to set barriers against trial process of her long term allies – War Criminals. She has been a long-time political supporter and friend of the noted War criminals. Why the widow of a slain President who was a liberation war commander is conspicuously silent on trails initiative of War Criminals is almost beyond the common men’s grasp.

Nation is not short sighted or the visions of all citizens are not so blurred. We only hope that Khaleda Zia will realise soon that ground is fast moving from her feet. She must re-evaluate her position and stop spreading venom or these will boomerang against her soon.

• The Water sharing issues were left to the mercy of India.
• Excitements about Import of 250 MW Power from India is laughable
• Ignorance about Tipai Mukh Dam is inexcusable.
• Neglect of Poet Nazrul has frustrated the people.
• Opposition has no way but to go for movement.

It must be mentioned upfront here that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed visited India from the 14th to the 17th January, 2010. During her visit some historic groundbreaking agreements were signed and two Minutes of Understanding were initialled. After the epic summit meeting between the heads of the governments of the two countries a 50-point joint communiqué was published which stated that all issues of bilateral importance came up for discussion and meeting of minds were reached to resolve all these through mutual discussions based on good friendly neighbourly relations. PM Hasina already invited opposition to return to parliament and voice their approvals or disapprovals on anything on the floor of the parliament. Soon after returning from the trip, she already has explained to our people the salient features of agreements and MOUs, as well as issues included in the communiqué.

In 2008 December election, Bangladeshi people have provided land slide majority to PM Hasina-led Mahajote government to serve the nation for five years. Our people have also elected some 30 opposition MPs to represent some sections of the people in the parliament. Unfortunately, under some silly pretexts, the opposition has abstained from attending the parliament after few days of the first session, although they don’t mind enjoying all the facilities and benefits of being parliamentarians at tax payer’s money. This is really sickening! It’s a shameful display of abusing people’s trust for which they were elected.

Mrs. Khaleda Zia stated that people of Bangladesh do not accept the communiqué which in her opinion has compromised our national interest. According to her, the PM has given everything generously to India through this communiqué; the PM has sold the country to India according to Khaleda. We like to ask Mrs. Khaleda: what percentage of people does she represent? What is her locus standee in the present parliament?

While various political parties, traders, business leaders, economic analysts and columnists have welcomed the significant achievement of PM Hasina from this recently concluded trip, seemingly only madam Khaleda and her associates are complaining. As a minority leader, representing only 10% of elected reps in the parliament, she has no right to say that our nation has not accepted the communiqué. She also failed to explain her reason for abstaining from the parliament. She also perhaps does not understand the difference between communiqué, agreement and MOU. A country is not a tradable commodity. She made herself a laughing stock with such silly accusations time and again that our country has been sold to India. She must be asked to explain clearly what she really means by this. She must produce credible evidence of selling of Bangladesh to India.

When she was honourable guest of the Pakistan occupation force in 1971 her husband joined Awami League-led Bangladesh liberation war to liberate our country and took shelter in India, which gave generous and spontaneous support in the liberation war. How can PM Hasina ever think of compromising with country’s interest when her own father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the very dreamer, architect and the father of this nation? PM Hasina lost most of her near and dear ones on the fateful hours of the 15th August, 1975 when conspirators carried out gruesome murders. It was madam Khaleda and her husband who sheltered those self-confessed killers and rewarded them in many ways. She also enjoys parleys with noted war criminals and hobnobs with them. Her only asset in politics is drum-beating of anti Indian slogans. Did not she state earlier after CHT treaty that a part of Bangladesh extending from Chittagong to Feni will go to India after that treaty? Has that allegation ever happened? What is the ground reality? Today, peace prevails in Chittagong Hill Tracts. We can expect that after the present agreement with India on cross-border terrorism, i.e., commitment not to entertain insurgency of any country in other’s soil, peace will prevail further strengthening the entire region. Mrs. Khaleda’s statement is not only out of context it is outrageous and makes her a laughing stock to world communities.

Mrs. Khaleda talked about Teesta Water sharing agreement. She told that our nation was expecting a resolution of Teesta water issue during PM’s visit. According to her, the PM Hasina left it completely at the mercy of India. We wonder what makes her say that! India and Bangladesh in recent senior official-level meetings have made significant progress on reaching an agreement. Not only Teesta talks are ongoing to resolve water sharing issues of all common rivers flowing from India into Bangladesh, the JRC meeting will be held in February 2010. May we ask: how many JRC meetings were held over the last 5 years of BNP-Jamat rule? Did Khaleda ever raise water sharing issues with India at all? What prevented her to do so? She forgot to raise this issue with India when she was on a state visist to India. So our nation may like to ask her: why she surrenders to India completely when in power and only becomes noisy about issues with India when thrown out of power? Is not it: doing politics for the sake of politics?

Mrs. Khaleda said that our nation must not be elated about trading of 250MW power from India which according to her will be available after 3 years. According to her, this power will not be enough to meet even the demand of a major district. Can we ask ex-PM how much power her government added during her 5-year rule from 2001 to 2006? Her only achievement was an 80MW under-performing Tongi Power plant, while during her time the power demand increased to about 2000MW. When her government took over in 2001 there was no power or energy crisis in Bangladesh. Several power plant-contract processing were in advanced stages. And yet, her government cancelled all those and could not ink even a single new contract during her tenure in office. Can Mrs. Khaleda explain why a contract for 450MW PDB- Summit JV plant at Sirajgonj could not get final approval after it was approved by the purchase committee? There are allegations of ill-gotten money laundering from the developer of the lone power plant of her time against her son and BNP senior Vice Chairman Tareq and his friend Mamun. Will Mrs. Khaleda explain why people talk so much ill about the Khamba scandal? Talk about fleecing of national wealth! She should be ashamed before opening her big mouth!

The current MOU to import 250MW power is the stepping stone to set up regional power grid. Once the grids are connected it will create opportunity of trading any amount of power amongst India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Madam Khaleda must tell her dumb advisors to shut up for putting those illogical statements — about power trading in North and South America, East and West Europe, and in South East Asia — into her mouth. Through such ill-informed and ill-intended comments she has made a fool of herself.

We appreciate Mrs. Khleda’s anxiousness about the Tipai Mukh Dam (TMD)? But does she know what it is? Did she do anything about it during her tenure? It’s not PM Hasina, but it is madam Khaleda who appears to be ignorant about it. In contrast, during her first year in office, PM Hasina has taken significant initiatives about resolving this vital matter. She discussed with Indian PM several times about it whenever they met in international engagements.

Why did madam Khaleda stop the opposition MPs from joining the parliamentary team when they visited India in connection with TMD? That committee discussed the issue elaborately with Indian counterpart and acquired important documents. The Indian government has made categorical commitment that nothing that harms Bangladesh will be done at the TMD.We have reports that TMD may be abandoned altogether, if it turns out that this is really harmful to environment.
Kobiguru Tagore and Rebel poet Nazrul are integral parts of Bangla culture. It is really laughable that Mrs. Khaleda wants to make an issue of it. The PM Hasina recited poems of both when speaking to Indian elites after receiving the Indira Gandhi peace award. How did Mrs. Khaleda find that our PM had neglected Rebel Poet? To most Bangladeshis, the Kobiguru and the Rebel poet are like the confluence of Padma-Meghna-Jamuna; they are inseparable. Hasina government has done enough and doing enough for both such towering cultural icons.

From 2001 to 2006 the BNP-Jamat alliance government made Bangladesh safe heaven of Indian and Bangladeshi terrorists. There are allegations that state sponsored terrorists carried out killings of ex-Finance Minister SAMS Kibria, and Ahsanullah Master MP. The terrorists even tried to kill present PM at the heart of capital city during broad day light killing Ivy Rahman (wife of current President of Bangladesh Government) and many other innocent people. Why the Khaleda government could not nab those killers? What happened at CUFL Jetty during her time? What about the allegation of massive Arms Haulage for ULFA? Can madam Khaleda rightfully claim that they were committed to strengthening the sovereignty of Bangladesh while aiding terrorism?

She also alleged that people did not vote Mahajote to power; they came through vote rigging. Why it is only Khaleda and her party who could detect this? Why not rest of the world? Her government set all those senior Army Officers and others who later formed the Care Taker Government in 2007. Army Chief General Moin U Ahmed was preferred by Khaleda Government over few other seniors and more deserving candidates. General Masud Uddin likewise also was their choice because he was Said Iskandar’s (Khaleda’s young brother) bhayra bhai (relative through marriage of common sisters). It was our Army that worked hard for creating the voter ID. Few million false voters who were included in the voter list during Khaleda time as part of her election engineering were pruned. Our people executed their voting right in free and fair manner, a fact which was confirmed by international election monitoring agencies. So her allegations about vote rigging in 29008 elections are not tenable. They appear sour grapes!

About connectivity, madam Khaleda claimed that the current usage to be about 60% capacity at Chittagong port and about 40% capacity at the Mongla port. This is a highly debatable figure. The past Care Taker Government and the present government have done much to increase activities of those two ports after the fall of the Khaleda government. For the sake of argument, if we take her figures to be correct, what is the harm if port connectivity would ensure 100% capacity utilization? Madam Khaleda must explain how offering port connectivity to neighbouring countries jeopardise the sovereignty of Bangladesh? When the proposed port facility expansion, envisioned by Singapore investors for Mongla, is implemented, the facilities will be quadrupled. Instead of fooling our masses, madam Khaleda should tell those cock and bull stories to her grand children. That would be fair and square!

Before the PM’s trip to India, Madam Khaleda vowed to either lay thorn on the ways of PM Hasina or garland her. The people of Bangladesh have overwhelmingly accepted what Hasina has achieved in India. The world community acclaimed the trip in a chorus. The choice is obvious; madam Khaleda must now garland Hasina and join politics of amity and peaceful co-existence. She must join the parliament and keep our government honest so that it does not stray away or deviate from fulfilling its election promises. That is what our nation expects and not empty rhetoric from the leader of opposition.

What is actually happening with opposition politics is rather disturbing. It is in a conspiracy mode since the election victory of the Mahajote Alliance. It is irate that Bangabandhu-killers, which it protected all these years, will soon be executed. There are speculations that the trials of the BDR killings will expose its conspiratorial hand behind the tragic event, which intended also to kill the PM Hasina on that fateful day of February 25 if she had appeared in the Darbar Hall. The Opposition is also uneasy about the trial of the War criminals, which will start soon. The current government is carrying out detail probes of the 21st August carnage, killing of S.AMS Kibria, Ahsanullah Master, and journalists in Khulna (Humayun Kabir and Manik Shaha). None of these developments are desirable for the BNP-Jamat alliance that ruled the country when such acts of violence took place. Many of the killers are now hiding in India. The extradition of such terrorists and killers and the ensuing trial that would surely follow may actually expose their links with the BNP- Jamat government of the past. So the BNP- Jamat opposition is genuinely concerned and are trying to create issues out of non-issues, making moles out of mountains, to somehow take people’s attention elsewhere. And that is what the opposition is up to these days.

But such ploys should not discourage the Mahajote government from boldly facing each of those issues coolly. Per people’s wishes, all acts of crime, corruption, money-laundering and land-grabbing must be probed and all criminals must be brought to justice. That is why people voted for the Mahajote. They want change – a paradigm shift from old, evil days of politics and governance to one of law, order, transparency and justice.

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Kh. A. Saleque (Saleque Sufi) is the ex-Director (Operation) GTCL and writes from Australia.

Ershad took over power by removing a democratically elected BNP president, Abdus Sattar, after which he went on to shelter war criminals as well as the killers of the Father of the Nation, gifted Bangladesh with a state religion, implemented Ayub Khan-style basic democracy that was nothing but mere eye-wash, and wrote poetry. All this catalyzed the twin processes of criminalization and Islamisation in politics. Then came the mass democratic movement of the ‘90s and Ershad was jailed. It’s easy to assume that he passed his days and nights like Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar by staring at the red bricks. The subsequent 15-year democratic spin ended with the installment of a military supported 1/11 caretaker government in 2007. Khaleda Zia and Shaikh Hasina were in turn relocated to those same red brick premises.

Khaleda Zia was incarcerated for her desire to rule over Bangladesh till her death. She came to power in 1991, and as a means to an end followed in the footsteps of her arch-enemy Ershad by tolerating political criminalization and promoting the killers of Mujibur Rahman. People’s choice ousted her 5 years later but as luck would have it, Shaikh Hasina too failed to hold her party godfathers on a tight leash and had to relinquish power after five years.

BNP won the 2001 polls with a brute majority, and we assumed Khaleda Zia must have learnt from her mistakes. We were again disappointed. This time round her son Tareq Rehman, like Sanjay Gandhi, started a parallel government from his whirl castle. Tareq’s sycophants launched percentage terrorism while simultaneously courting and facilitating the Talibanisation of Bangladesh, and prepared ground for election engineering. Tareq could not play the Nero’s flute as times would not permit him to go that far, so he took to cricket to ridicule an opposition protest. But it had the same effect: Dhaka started burning like Rome. Sadly, Khaleda Zia’s affections for her son turned out to be blinder than that of Indra Gandhi.

Having said that, it’s lamentable the kind of physical abuse Tareq Rehman had to face during the 1/11 administration. Such penance cannot be expected in a modern state. One can simply hope Tareq has realized that no power is absolute. He could have avoided being the target of such harassment had his involvement in politics been fair enough to win the hearts of an apolitical majority. Then there would have been no reason for the masses and the military to support 1/11. If leaders consider relying on political institutions a long winded wait and try to take fate into their own hands, nature inevitably steps in to put things back on course, sometimes rectifying a wrong with another wrong.

One might add that it’s still quite early to judge if lessons have been learnt, but a time-tested maxim does arise: without respect for democracy and people’s will, political ground can overnight turn into ashes.

And what did Shaikh Hasina learn during her confinement within the red bricks of soul? She displayed courage by getting rid of a few party godfathers and power abusers who had made her ’96 government unpopular. She, however, has not been able to stop her party cadres from changing the names of institutions in the BNP fashion, nor restrain their attempts to paint the face of Bangladesh with the colors of Awami League.

Politicians of questionable ethics and pseudo media-intellectuals talk about 1/11 as if they had no contribution to the rise of that undemocratic setup. Such political businessmen and opportunist intellectuals would do better if they learnt to earn their bread and butter just like the hardworking people they claim to represent.

Had there been no Hawa Bhaban (Tareq’s whirl castle), had the BNP not tried to install a favorable caretaker government to engineer elections, had there been an impartial election commission with a fair voters’ list and had the civil bureaucracy not been lego-ised to support election fraud, the political scene today would been much friendlier.

The current Awami League-led grand alliance will have to show conformity with democratic institutions and will have to rely on people’s will alone. It will have to realize that voters are neither supporters of Awami League not of BNP. Voters are only clients of democracy, willing to give mandate to the party that delivers. Neither they nor anyone else wants to see the shadows of 1/11 haunting the collective fate of peace-loving nation.

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Maskawaith Ahsan is a broadcaster, journalist, author, blogger and the editor of  The-Editor.net.

We are sure PM will make it all clear in the next session of the Parliament. She has already briefed some points to the press on her return home. But judging from the hue and cry BNP and their pet intellectuals are trying to raise, let’s try and assess what can be the impacts of the agreements and discussions of two PMs in the recent meet.

Agreement to Exchange Convicted Criminals.

Bangladesh and India share extensive porous border. Criminals and killers committing crimes and murders easily cross the borders and stay there away from the justice for years. From across the borders they continue controlling unsocial activities. Some of them do get the punishment in absentee, and that’s it. So it’s obvious that these convicted criminals could not be taken home without any extradition treaty. There are reports that several listed top terrors of Bangladesh are hiding in India. Some of them are even in Indian jails. There are reports that at least two killers of Bangabnadhu who got death sentence are also jailed in India, so are two alleged criminals of 21ST August Bangabandhu Avenue grenade carnage. On the other hand several Indian top leaders of ULFA, Laskar-E Tayeba are in Bangladeshi jail. Can any agreement which will pave the way for exchange of these sentenced criminals and crime suspects to face justice in their own land be considered anti state activity?

BNP-Jamat during their rule made Bangladesh safe heaven of Indian and Pakistani terrorists groups. Several ULFA, Laskare Tayeba, HUJI top leaders were protected, sheltered and allowed to operate from Bangladesh. Deadly Arges Grenades smuggled from Pakistan were used in 21ST August carnage in other areas to kill innocent civilians and popular political leaders. There are allegations that these were sponsored by the then Government ministers, Intelligence services and BNP policy makers. So when that party start protesting this extradition treaty, some would assume that behind this weird reaction actually lies the fear, and that is of the consequence of bringing back these criminals who may in turn leak the secret ally of the BNP leaders with them. On the other hand return of Indian ULFA leaders and their trials by India may expose the secret links of BNP – Jamat linkage with them.

Bangladesh and India vowed neither country will allow their land to be used for carrying out any subversive activity against other .This effectively means no Indian separatists insurgents of the 7 sisters will get safe hideouts in Bangladesh and same will happen to those Bangladeshi insurgents of Chittagong Hill Tracts will not get shelter in India. Wonder what faults BNP is finding here. They off course allowed Bangladesh as corridor for passage of deadly weapons for Indian separatists. The ten truck arms fiasco is already awaiting the trial.

Indian government has categorically committed that nothing that harms Bangladesh will be done at Tipai Mukh.The PMs also vowed to work positively to reach an agreement regarding sharing of Teesta river water. The JRC meeting to expedite this and also on issues related to Feni, Muhuri, Khowai, Dharala and Dudkumar rivers will be held at a convenient time in the current quarter of 2010. Actions on Dredging of Ichamati River and protection of Mahananda, Karotoa, Nagar, Kulik, Atrai, Dharala and Feni rivers were also agreed to be worked out. India appreciated the urgency of Bangladesh government to regenerate required water flow in all rivers and agreed to support Bangladesh initiatives to dredge rivers for flood control, navigation and access to ports. India agreed to provide dredgers on urgent basis.

How can any one of the above be considered against the Interest of Bangladesh?

Bangladesh as India has also agreed to create some facilities as part of regional connectivity. Ashuganj, Bangladesh and Silchar Assam will be port of Call. India, Nepal and Bhutan may use port faculties at Mongla and Chittagong to transport goods in Roads and Rail. Bangladesh will use Indian Corridor to trade much more freely with Nepal and Bhutan. Can anyone analytically demonstrate how these will go against the interest of Bangladesh? Our port facility will improve, the roads and Railway infrastructure will improve, and Bangladesh will have huge economic gains.

Bangladesh and India will link their power grids facilitating power trading. In appreciation of present power crisis in Bangladesh India agreed to supply 250MW power immediately at their off peak. Once Power grids are linked in future this links Bangladesh can use to trade power with Nepal and Bhutan as well. The power trading will be done under cover of sovereign government agreement. The power tariff will be transparent and properly structured. Power trading and energy trading is well established phenomenon in S North and South America, East and West Europe and even in South East Asia. Once there is grid connectivity there will fresh enthusiasm in joint venture development of power generation utilising untapped energy resources in region.

Before criticising this BNP must see their ugly face in the mirror as they in the 5 years rule of last term failed to add the new power required to meet growing demand. The present power crisis is due to BNP-Jamat mismanagement and plundering of resources through massive corruption in power sector.

India has pledged providing 1billion US$ soft term 1.9% interest payable in 20 years loan to Bangladesh. These will be used in communication infrastructure. Compared to loans from WB and ADB this is much more attractive. How does it harm Bangladesh interest?

India will assist Bangladesh in river dredging and will provide 9 dredgers immediately. Does it harm Bangladesh or go against our interest?

India and Bangladesh have agreed to resolve maritime boundary disputes through discussion. They have also agreed to resolve boundary issues within the spirit of 1974 agreement. Does these in anyway harm Bangladesh?

We have found that PM Sheikh Hasina has done wonderful job. Government must discuss the full text of agreements, MOU in the parliament. Press and media must print authentic reports. Peaceful co-existence respecting each other’s sovereign rights will be so very useful for the countries of the region. People of Bangladesh must not be dodged by cheap anti Indian slogans by failed BNP Jamat anymore.

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Kh. A. Saleque (Saleque Sufi) is the ex-Director (Operation) GTCL and writes from Australia.

Photo: Mrs. Khaleda Zia in a Press Conference, by Liton Rahman,DrikNEWS.

Mrs Khleda Zia, Chairperson BNP and Leader of Opposition (now abstaining from the Bangladesh parliament) has issued two statements recently about the running of the affairs of the present government. Awami League led Mahajote Government has just completed its first year. Neutral observers would agree that Bangladesh has made notable progress in many areas despite of several constraints and crisis. After massive misrule, poor governance, state sponsored corruption and terrorism nation has just started turning around. Agriculture sector has achieved massive growth. Law and order has significantly improved. The government has initiated process to normalise relations with neighbours. Several contentious issues are expected to be discussed with positive frame of mind during the ensuing visit of Prime Minister Hasina. Yes some areas like Energy, price spirals of essentials need a lot of improvement. Government is endeavouring to that effect.

Mrs Khaleda has said, “The country is not being run by the elected representatives of Bangladesh. The country is run through remote control from outside.The government is acting against the interests of the country”. In another lecture in a Conference she said, “People with receive with garlands if PM Hasina returns with achievement from India but if she returns sacrificing the country’s interest she will make her path thorny”.

Leader of the opposition in a democratic form of the government is the PM of the shadow government. Democracy provides scope for opposition to debate any government actions and policies in the parliament. Unfortunately on silly pretext opposition led by Khaleda is abstaining from parliament. It is trying to blackmail the government raising new excuses. Opposition is issuing controversial statements on issues which they themselves muddled up while they ruled or misruled the country in the past.

Wonder why Khaleda and BNP are so allergic about India? Can any one deny our geographic reality? Can a tiny country afford to remain hostile to India? General Ziaur Rahman who created BNP in the Cantonment using state power and while still in uniform had to take shelter in India during liberation war and take their assistance to lead his Z force in the liberation war. Mrs Zia off course was the guest of the occupation force and did not see it all. During her rule Bangladesh sheltered Indian and Pakistani terrorists and made Bangladesh safe passage of Arms haul for Indian separatists Guerrillas to destabilise India. The present government is endeavouring to control these. What is the harm if Bangladesh and India can jointly combat terrorism for the mutual benefit of both countries?

Bangladesh and India are also endeavouring to resolve boundary disputes and border disputes. Extradition treaty of convicted criminals is also under discussion agenda. India is also due to assist Bangladesh in dredging rivers and improving Railway infrastructures. They are trying to reduce trade deficits ensuring removal of tariff and non tariff barriers on Bangladeshi export commodities access to India. What are the harms in these? Bangladesh and India are talking more positively on river water sharing issues – Tessta Water sharing, Tipai Mukh Dam, Energy sector Co operation. Wonder how Asian Highway Network is also going to harm Bangladesh? What are wrong in these?

I think all sensible citizen of Bangladesh deserves right to seek explanation from Khaleda about her statements. What made her convinced that the country is not being run by the elected representatives? She must be very specific in her statement. Who according to her is running the country? Her second part of the statement even contradicts with the first. If she is convinced that some force other than Mahajote government is running the show then the question of protecting the country’s interest cannot be apportioned on them. If some neutral person analyse Khaleda statement he/she may conclude that these are highly irresponsible and unbecoming of a person who also ran the government as head of it.

Regarding her other statements about making the path of PM thorny after return from India visit it must be said she acted like illiterate village lady. PM Hasina will be dealing mostly issues which could be resolved if Khaleda approached these with positive frame of mind during her rule. Tipai Mukh Dam issue did not come up all on a sudden now. Over the 5 years rule of BNP- Jamat last term there were no fruitful discussions. Bangladesh did not even try to assess what were the aims and objectives of the projects? The opposition did not allow its parliamentarians to visit India when MP Abdur Razzak led Parliamentary team had useful discussions. Without knowing the implications it is highly unethical of a person to even talk about it. Wonder whether she understands the difference between dam and barrage! Bangladesh is following correct strategy now. Nothing that harms Bangladesh we believe will be done at TMD. That is the assurance Bangladesh is getting from Indian authority.

Maritime boundary dispute is another contentious issue. Mahajote Government in one year achieved significant progress. May we ask Khaleda what her government did over her 2001-2006? Bangladesh never even officially protested when India and Myanmar encroached our maritime area in several of their surges for exploring petroleum. Bangladesh did not make any efforts to explore or even carry out survey of its maritime resources. The present government has taken positive initiatives. Bangladesh is carrying out discussions with neighbours and at the same time served official notice of arbitrations against claims of neighbours. Will Mrs Khaleda tell the nation where the faults of Hasina government here are?

People have voted at least 30MPs of BNP to debate and discuss national issues in the parliament. But opposition is boycotting parliament. The country is running much better than before. There are no organised terrorism, no anarchy, and no major acts of corruption. Government is endeavouring to reconstruct the country from the ruins left behind by Khaleda government. In one year several milestones have been achieved. Khaleda with anti liberation forces are indulged in anti government conspiracies. In this situation the statements of Khaleda are unfortunate and deplorable. She is unfortunately trying to throw stones sitting in the glass house.

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Kh. A. Saleque (Saleque Sufi) is the ex-Director (Operation) GTCL and writes from Australia.

[Read all posts by Kh. A. Saleque]

Decades ago, Sylhet municipality (before it became a city corporation) had an admittedly crazy candidate for the position of chairman: A Mr. Saiful. The whole town knew he had mental problems, and he openly discussed it. His campaigning was novel, too: he declared, in open meetings, that he was going to take a total of one crore (10 million) taka in bribes, after which he will do real work.

Would you be surprised to hear that Mr. Saiful, a crazy person with a declared manifesto of taking bribes, defeated major party (AL, BNP, JP) candidates and was elected? The heavily favored AL candidate and the challenger BNP candidate both lost despite rigging the vote in many polling centers.

People were so disgusted, they voted Saiful (also known as Chokka Saiful) as the Chairman.

People have power to vote, and they wield that power thoughtfully. A cartoon published on Nov 5, 2008, after Obama was elected says “the most powerful person in the free world is a voter”. We thought this would be appropriate for Bangladesh as well.

We saw this in 1991–pundits were predicting an AL win, but people remembered that AL formed an alliance with Jatyo Party/Ershad and punished them by voting for BNP. BNP went to power and abused it, so people voted for AL in 1996.

You’d think AL would learn by then. They conducted business as usual, and was kicked out of power in the 2001 election. Which brings us to 2008, and the massive boot given to BNP by the voters in Bangladesh.

Awami League leadership and specially Sheikh Hasina will do well to remember this history. A landslide victory does not mean a license to mess with the constitution or the civil rights of people. It does not mean an unrestricted license to steal for the petty thugs in the party (or the big thugs in the party). It does not mean a massive revenge campaign against BNP rank and file members. Above all, it does not mean the laws of the country won’t apply to Awami Leaguers any more.

May AL and Sheikh Hasina find the wisdom to govern wisely.

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J @ Shada Kalo [http://shadakalo.blogspot.com] writes using a pseudonym and is best known for exposing government, military, corporate foul plays through whistle-blowing investigative reports.

[Read posts by J @ Shada Kalo]

Appointment Letter:

To:
Sheikh Hasina Wazed
C/O AL

Dear Mrs. Wazed:

Congratulations. We are happy to inform you that your employment application for the position of Prime Minister of Bangladesh has been accepted.

You have been accepted to lead the country on a five-year contract employment basis.

During the application review process, we considered your previous employment history from 1996 to 2001, and your performance during that period. Upon review, we found that you did an adequate job.

But don’t get too elated. To be honest, the applicant pool was rather thin this year. Your toughest competition came from your immediate past predecessor, who left such a wide swath of destruction around her that we had no trouble making up our mind and rejecting her; after which there was only you left to be picked.

Given your predecessor’s performance, note that we will keep a very close watch on you and your cohorts, and we will exercise our option to remove you at the expiry of the contract if your job performance is not adequate.

We do sincerely hope that you will not disappoint us. If you do, learn from your rival what fate awaits you.

One suggestion: go easy on trumpeting 1996-2001 as the ‘golden era’. We still remember that Bangladesh landed at the top of the list of corrupt countries during that tenure for the first time.

On election night, there were reports of violence perpetrated by your supporters. This is the time to rein them in, or you will forever lose control of them.

But let us focus on the future and positive outcomes. Know that we wish you well and hope for your success in the future.

Sincerely,

Voters of Bangladesh

Rejection letter:

To:
Mrs. Khaleda Zia
C/O BNP

Dear Mrs. Zia:

We regret to inform you that your employment application for the position of Prime Minister of Bangladesh has been denied.

During the application review process, we considered your previous employment history from 2001 to 2006, and your performance during that period. Upon review, we found that not only you did not do a good job, you brought along relatives who stole from people and profited at the expense of this country.

You also underperformed as manager–you hired people with little skill based on their friendship with your son, and let them flaunt the laws and regulations at will.

Your government landed Bangladesh at the top of the list of corrupt countries four years in a row.

Lastly, you allowed, with your full consent and knowledge, the establishment and growth of a colony of blood-sucking leeches also known as Jamaat, and their even more dangerous cousins, HUJI and JMB. You and your ministers denied the existence of a terrorist named Bangla Bhai, and your ministers directly aided and abetted this extremist.

As such, we are awarding the job to another candidate better suited for the position.

Please note that this denial is not final: you are welcome to apply for the job again in five years when it becomes available again, but you have to prove that you are better than the incumbent if you wish to gain employment.

Until then, we wish you well and hope that you will use this time constructively for the betterment of your governance and managerial skills, and not on destructive practices such as hartals, etc.

Sincerely,

Voters of Bangladesh

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J @ Shada Kalo [http://shadakalo.blogspot.com] writes using a pseudonym and is best known for exposing government, military, corporate foul plays through whistle-blowing investigative reports.

[Read posts by J @ Shada Kalo]

In the past only once had the leaders of the two dominant political parties and rivals Khaleda Zia and Shiekh Hasina cooperated. The heads of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Awami League (AL) have not met or even spoken to each other for more than a decade since 1990 when they had worked unitedly to oust the military autocrat H.M. Ershad. Many believe that for the sake of the country’s future it is high time that they forsake their differences in order to bring in a democracy that they had failed to establish after the ’90s mass upheaval.

by: Azizur Rahim peu, DRIK News
Dhaka, 1990

One hundred and eighteen former lawmakers elected with BNP ticket on Saturday demanded release of the detained BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, before the Independence and National Day. 

They also demanded release of the party’s senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman and his bother Arafat Rahman, and the Awami League president Sheikh Hasina to have proper treatment.  

They also expressed concern at the skyrocketing price of essentials and called for creating a business-friendly environment free from state of emergency to curb price spiral and suggested distribution of VGD and VGF cards and open market sale of rice, pulse and flour. 

They suggested initiating food for work and cash for work programmes in rural areas and distributing fair price card for the urban low-income group people, rationing for the factory workers and reopening all closed down factories to tackle the situation. 

The former lawmakers demanded immediate announcement of the schedule of the election to the ninth parliament before holding any kind of local government polls at a press briefing held at flat of party secretary general, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Party’s one of the joint secretaries general, Selima Rahman,  placed a 10-point charter of demands in presence of some 30 former lawmakers and read out a statement of 118 lawmakers.

‘The 37th Independence Day will be observed in a time when Bangladesh is passing through extreme turning point. The parliamentary system of democracy was one of major expectations which led us to war of independence but the system is inactive and ineffective for past 14 months. The seats in the house are gathering dust and the bungalows for speaker and deputy speaker have tuned in sub jails,’ the statement read.

‘The single crime of Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina is that they are leading the two major political parties. They have been detained for false charge of corruption as they denied to go exile on the government’s will,’ the statement added.

‘Khaleda Zia’s two sons—Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman— are awaiting death in jail. They will not escape from the country if they are released on bail,’ the statement added.

‘We want Khaleda Zia and her family to be freed immediately. We hope the government will create a favourable atmosphere for elections by releasing the two leaders,’ said party organising secretary Mohammad Shahjahan. 

Asked about whether they would go for elections keeping Khaleda behind bars, Shahjahan said, ‘It is not matter of joining or boycotting the polls, we would do whatever it takes for freeing Khaleda.’ 

‘It is clear that some super powers want to confront the people and the military in Bangladesh and Khaleda Zia is the only person who can resist such agenda,’ he said. 

On unification of the party, Shahjahan said, ‘The matter is on court of Saifur Rahman and Hafizuddin Ahmed. Let us see what they do. The grassroots activists and leaders are with Khandaker Delwar Hossain.’ 

The party will send the chief adviser a memorandum on the release of their chairperson in a day or two, Shahjahan added.