Some Bangladeshi observers are drawing similarity between Pakistan politics and Bangladeshi affairs where Pakistan's two mainstream leaders, Bhutto and Sharif, were forced to stay overseas  - to enable the military government make a "new beginning" in the country's bodypolitik post 9/11.

Bangladesh's army chief says the country should not go back to being run by an "elective democracy". He said democracy in Bangladesh had so far led to corruption, rights violations and criminalization threatening the state's survival. "We do not want to go back to an elective democracy where corruption becomes all pervasive, governance suffers in terms of insecurity and violation of rights, and where political criminalization threatens the very survival and integrity of the state," Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed told a conference in Dhaka. He did not elaborate on what kind of a system should be introduced as replacement. The country is currently being run by an army-backed interim government after a state of emergency was declared in January. Scores of high profile political figures and their associates have been arrested on corruption charges.

One media report says, Bangladesh politics will (also) bid farewell to at least six of the front ranking top political leaders while a number of political parties will fail to get registration under the proposed electoral reform proposal. According to present realities, Begum Khaleda Zia of BNP, Sheikh Hasina of Awami League and Hussain Muhammed Ershad of Jatiyo Party will be convicted in various corruption charges in next one year, which will stop them from participating in any of the general elections in Bangladesh.

On the other hand, Ali Ahsan Mujahid of Jamaat-e-Islami, Fazlul Huq Amini of Islami Oikya Jote and Delwar Hussain Sayeedi of Jamaat-e-Islami might be found guilty for their activities against the liberation of Bangladesh. The government is also going to introduce a law stopping anyone from contesting in polls if he or she had been convicted in any of the corruption charges even for a single day. According to the constitution a person is not eligible for contesting in elections, if she/he is convicted of a crime and sentenced to at least two years in prison on charges of moral turpitude, unless five years have passed since his or her release from jail. One analyst thinks these developments in South Asia are linked to America's post 9/11 "regime change" concept for those Muslim countries where there is a rise in Islamism.

Hasina Delays Return

Sheikh Hasina Wajed, former prime minister and leader of the opposition Awami League, has postponed her return home from USA after being charged with the murder of five people during political violence last year, according to a party official.

The news comes amidst widespread media speculation that the government is seeking to force Hasina and Zia into quitting politics but this has been denied by the administration.

The main opposition leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed, who is on holiday in the United States, has been charged with the murder of five people during political violence which racked the nation's capital last October, police have said. Hasina has denied the charges and said she would return to Bangladesh to fight them. The murder case against Hasina followed a complaint by the Jamaat Islami party. During a daylong clash between rivals on October 28 last year, at least seven people were killed at downtown Purana Paltan area while Jamaat claimed five of them to be their activists.

The murder charge comes after Hasina on Monday was accused of extortion of 30 million taka (434,000 dollars) by a Bangladeshi chief of a Malaysian-owned company. Hasina, who is now staying at her son's residence in Virginia, also indicated that she might return to the country on or before April 20, much earlier than the schedule. Earlier, she was scheduled to return home on April 26 or 27.There has been widespread media speculation that the government is seeking to force Hasina and Zia into quitting politics but this has been denied by the administration.

She denied all allegations late on Wednesday and said she would cut short her family holiday and return to Bangladesh to fight the charges. But Abdul Jalil, the general secretary of her party, said Hasina had postponed plans to fly back on Saturday after talking to the government.

"She delayed the comeback after a top-ranking government official contacted me and Sheikh Hasina by telephone and requested her not to change her tour schedule," Jalil said late on Wednesday. They assured us that they would take steps to ensure that her honor and image would not be harmed. That's why our leader has postponed her return to the country for the time being. Her date of return has not been fixed yet." (Agencies+DesPardes.com)

Khaleda Freedom Curtailed

Bangladesh's military-backed government has severely restricted the freedom of former prime minister Khaleda Zia hours after she warned the country was at a crossroads. With the country under emergency rule since January, law-enforcing agencies had imposed the ban on Zia meeting anyone except four designated persons, the UNB news agency said. Those who can meet with Khaleda (Zia) are her younger brother Sayeed Iskander and his wife, Khaleda's personal physician and former MP Mushfiqur Rahman, UNB said. The ban was reported just hours after the head of the previous government warned Bangladesh was at a crossroads and called for unity. Meanwhile, several newspapers have reported that Shaikh Hasina who faces extortion charges  would not come back to avoid arrest. Zia could also be sent into exile as part of the government’s move to clean up politics, several dailies said on Tuesday.

- This is compiled by deshbidesh.usa@gmail.com

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