Khaleda Zias statement on Sheikh Hasina

Posted by Rumi under Bangladesh, Democracy, Politics [22] Comments The Daily Star Reports, Setting a rare example, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday demanded immediate release of her arch political rival Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina, and regretted failure of the administration to protect her [Hasina] dignity while being taken to court. I am deeply disheartened to see that being a former prime minister, chief of a political party, daughter of a national leader, an aged woman as well as a distinguished citizen of the country, she [Hasina] faced a disgraceful and indecent situation on the court premises, Khaleda said in a statement, signed by Maruf Kamal Khan, deputy press secretary to the former prime minister. BNP leaders however said they are not aware of any such statement. It [indecent situation] hurt all conscious people and destroyed the image of the government both at home and abroad, Khaleda said. The situation could have been avoided if the government would have dealt with the matter carefully and consciously, she added. The BNP chairperson said, I think it would be better if her [AL chief] trial is held without arresting and sending her to jail or opposing her bail prayer. Calling for immediate release of Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda stressed conducting the case keeping her free. It would decrease the possibility of social and political instability and confusion. The people do not want to see chaos and disorder again which led to promulgation of unexpected state of emergency. Extension of emergency would not however bring any good to the county, she said. We have to move forward toward our desired democracy. Ensuring stability and establishing national consensus are necessary for this, Khaleda said. Everybody should be more foresighted and should exercise wisdom as the opportunity is now created. Mentioning that none is above the law, she said nobody is also above error. And those who discharge major responsibilities of a country beset with problems have the more chances of committing errors. Successes of politicians should not be underestimated because of their failures, the former premier observed. I was hurt by the illogical, non-political and indecent speeches of Sheikh Hasina against me and my family many times, and I am also hurt in the same way to see her facing unexpected behaviour, Khaleda said.

Accused persons may or may not be guilty. So, it is the duty of the government and administration to protect their honour and dignity, she said. Every accused should get justice, and his/her right to defend, legal assistance and human rights should be ensured.

[ Thanks Asif for Links to this AP and AFP photos] I am amazed at this statement. Not only because it is an unimaginable U turn in the attitude of one feuding leader towards the other but also at the strength and quality of the statement. It is, in my opinion, one of the best political statements in Bangladesh politics I have come across so far. This exceedingly well crafted piece articulates its message very clearly. This piece captured an issue which was unfirtunately missed and overlooked by everybody else, even her own party colleagues. Khaleda Zia was apparently the first one to bring up the issue of the treatment extended to Sheikh Hasina at court house.

Another reason this statement carries weight is that it signals that Khaleda Zia probably is not all by herself in her struggle with the Mannan Bhuiyan gong. This statements clearly indicates that Khaleda is being advised by someone very prudent and capable in writing and promoting certain political points. I hope she continues to get the support and good advise.
Source : http://rumiahmed.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/khaleda-zias-statement-on-sheikh-hasina/

Khaleda sends Hasina Eid card Thu, Aug 25th, 2011 3:28 pm BdST Dhaka, Aug 25 (bdnews24.com) BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has sent an Eid card to prime minister Sheikh Hasina, wishing her a happy Eid-ul-Fitr. The opposition leader's personal secretary A S M Saleh Ahmed carried the card to the prime minister's office around 1:30pm on Thursday. The card was handed to Nazrul Islam Khan, personal secretary to the prime minister, Saleh told bdnews24.com. Though the two top leaders of the country have not exchanged greetings face to face for a long time, they exchange Eid cards regularly. Neither Hasina nor Khaleda attended Iftar parties this Ramadan though they invited each other. The last time the two top leaders were seen together was on Sept 10, 2009 at an Iftar party organised by the Armed Forces Division. Khaleda is now in Saudi Arabia to perform her Umrah. She is likely to return on Aug 30. bdnews24.com/sm/ost/tk/1519h
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2 Leaders in Exile
Khaleda reacted sharply, Hasina took it lightly
Staff Correspondent

In early January 2007, Khaleda Zia sharply reacted to the claims that some within the two major political parties approached to US and UK diplomats to advocate military intervention and forcing BNP chief and her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina into exile. On the other hand, Awami League President Hasina largely dismissed the reports and even joked that exile in the United States would allow her to see her granddaughter. According to two leaked cables posted on the whistleblower site WikiLeaks on August 30 this year, the then US ambassador in Dhaka Patricia A Butenis and British high commissioner Anwar Chowdhury called on Hasina on January 6, 2007 and Khaleda the next day. In the meetings, the envoys apprised the leaders of a possible martial law or a coup, the cables say. They also said a political compromise was possible that would spare the country from violence and end rumours and speculation about military intervention. The beginning of 2007 saw political turmoil sweep across the country following the then opposition Awami League's boycotting of January 22 elections under the caretaker government headed by Iajuddin Ahmed. Supporters of two alliances led by AL and BNP were locked in a series of clashes. Emergency was declared on January 11. The ambassador and the high commissioner stressed they had consistently opposed any unconstitutional role for the military but felt obligated to bring these reports to Hasina's attention, one of the cables say. Hasina, now the prime minister, then expressed little concern over her personal security. She said she was not troubled by military involvement, either directly or under a state of emergency. If the military can intervene and "make things okay," that would be good.

The ambassador queried Hasina why she thought the military would be willing to return power to the very politicians who created the need for military intervention in the first place. The AL chief said she did envision marshal law; opining that no officer was strong enough to lead a coup. Moreover, she was confident the people would not allow the military to retain power longer then necessary to resolve the political crisis. "There would be violence, bloodshed, the country could collapse," if the military refused to step down, she said. Hasina, however, said she would sooner support a solution involving the military than one that returned the BNP to power. Khaleda, acknowledging some dissent within her party, bristled at suggestions the military would take action against her or act extra-constitutionally. She accused the US, UK and civil society of encouraging such speculation, an allegation which both the ambassador and the British high commissioner categorically denied. Now leader of the opposition, Khaleda then at the meet rejected discussions with Hasina before elections. Instead, she reiterated the BNP position that elections must go forward but offered to hold new elections within 12-15 months once returned to office. Once elected, BNP would also implement election reforms, including AL demands for voter ID cards. She acknowledged many would not recognise the January 22 elections as credible, but said the government would be legitimate under the constitution. Khaleda Zia also said she always wanted AL to participate in the elections, but it was then too late. At the request of the diplomats, Khaleda excused from the meeting her usual advisers (former foreign minister Morshed Khan, former political adviser Reaz Rahman and BNP general secretary Mannan Bhuiyan). They later returned for the discussion on election issues. Sheikh Hasina during her talks with the envoys argued that the current political impasse was the direct result of an orchestrated BNP plan, implemented with the collusion of the chief adviser, to create conditions to force AL and its partners in the "Grand Alliance" to boycott the election. BNP does not want us to participate because we will win," Hasina declared with confidence. She complained that the president/chief adviser, Iajuddin Ahmed, does not listen to his advisers or the international community, but simply follows BNP instructions. The president, she said, just wanted to hold elections and hand over power to Khaleda, leaving Awami League and its alliance partners with no alternative but to boycott a "rigged" election.

Asked how she would respond if the BNP chairperson reached out to her to find a solution, Hasina said she would reject any such overtures from Khaleda. As the two envoys described a possible scenario suggested by some in the BNP under which elections would be held with the understanding that new elections would be called within 12 months, Hasina dismissed the proposal out-of-hand. Emphasising the need to take a hard line now, Hasina said her supporters already blame her for initially accepting Iajuddin's decision to appoint himself the chief adviser. Many argue that continuing the street violence that forced former chief justice Hasan to refuse appointment as the chief adviser, would have been better than allowing Iajuddin to engineer a biased election. She denied that cancellation of Jatiya party leader Ershad's nominations caused her to boycott the election. Jatiya party is now a component of ruling coalition led by her party. When US ambassador Butenis raised the possibility of United Nations mediation, the AL president showed some interest in UN-mediated election, but it was clear she envisioned an election effectively run by the UN and not just UN mediation of the political issues separating the two major political alliances. The cable on the meeting with Hasina noted that the AL president wrote to the UN secretary general in December asking for UN monitoring of the election. On reconstitution of the caretaker government and the Election Commission, Hasina insisted Iajuddin must relinquish his position as the chief adviser; the original ten advisers, however, would be acceptable
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=201334

Hasina questions Khaleda's lavish lifestyle Thu, Dec 9th, 2010 8:14 pm BdST
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Dhaka, Dec 9 (bdnews24.com)--Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said her government will examine the tax files of BNP chief Khaleda Zia to match her wealth statement submitted to the Election Commission. In her winding up speech at the parliament on Thursday, the prime minister said opposition Khaleda used to live a extravagant life in Bangladesh and laundered money while in power. She, however, offered no proof in support of the money laundering charge. "The finance minister is here. I will ask him to examine her tax file to see if that match the wealth statement (of Khaleda) submitted during the caretaker time." Hasina gave a detailed account of the former prime ministers personal belongings found at the cantonment house. She said Khaleda, after the assassination of Ziaur Rahman, gave a TV interview in which she claimed her husband only left a torn T-shirt and she used to make pants for her children out of Zia's pants. The prime minister said Khaleda's cantonment house had 45 rooms, 12 bathrooms and four kitchens. It contained 64 air conditioners, 20 television sets (including LCD sets) 17 fridges and freezers, 10 heaters, 71 sofa sets and 7,200 square feet of carpets. She said the opposition leader took away the items from the house. But there are other items left in the house, Hasina said. Those include: aluminum glass and sliding doors, grill, commodes, basins, mirrors, wall racks, netted grills, door frames, shower cases, water tanks and others. "My question is: whether the items belonged to her? If yes, where did she get the money to buy all these?" "It is unfortunate for the people that she used to lead such a lavish life in the country and sent money abroad," said Hasina. "People want to know how she earned so much money," said the prime minister. She said Khaleda pledged to return her cantonment home in return for the Gulshan house given to her.

A joking Hasina said that former president Ershad was moved by Khaleda's dire economic condition after her husband's death and gave her a huge house inside the Dhaka Cantonment. bdnews24.com/krc/am/bd/2141h

http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=2&id=181184

Analysis: A tale of two women

A legacy of hatred: Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia

By BBC News Online's David Chazan Bangladeshi politics revolves around a vitriolic personal feud between two women - the outgoing prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and her rival, Khaleda Zia. With the latest results showing a convincing victory for Mrs Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) over Mrs Hasina's Awami League, the question is, will the loser accept defeat? The election campaign was the most violent in Bangladesh's turbulent 30-year history, marked by a series of coups and counter-coups.

At least 140 people died in the run-up to voting. Mrs Hasina was the first prime minister to serve out her full term of office in a country where political power has often been seized at gunpoint. Mrs Hasina is reported to have said she will not accept the result of what she called a "rigged" election. Celebrations in the BNP camp were muted - seen as a sign that Mrs Zia wanted to avoid antagonising her rival. Reconciliation Instead, Mrs Zia called for political reconciliation and national unity, promising to eradicate corruption and increase living standards in one of the world's poorest countries.
There were clashes with India earlier this year

The feud between the two rivals goes back at least a quarter of a century, stemming from Bangladesh's bloodstained past. Insiders say Mrs Hasina believes that Mrs Zia's husband was partly to blame for the assassination of Mrs Hasina's father, former President Mujibur Rahman. Mrs Zia's husband, a former military dictator, was also assassinated.

If the loser doesn't give in and concede defeat, you might see Such is the level of hostility and acrimony between them that Mrs Zia was once further violence reported to have declared that she would celebrate her birthday on the
The two women have often hurled bitter personal insults at each other. anniversary of the assassination of Mrs Hasina's father, along with more than 20 of his close relatives. Inciting violence Each accuses the other of inciting violence. Rival party supporters have often fought pitched battles. The caretaker government which supervised the election deployed more than 50,000 troops to keep the peace. But diplomats and some Bangladeshi commentators fear that hostility between the two sides could now intensify and lead to more bloodshed.

Foreign diplomat

"If the loser doesn't give in and concede defeat, you might see further violence," said a foreign diplomat. "Bangladesh is highly polarised between the two main parties. That could now be a very dangerous thing," said the diplomat, who requested anonymity. Military dictators held power in Bangladesh for many years. But diplomats said a military takeover was now unlikely. "Even if violence were to reach such a point that the army felt that it had to step in to restore order, you've got to remember that the military itself is divided too," a diplomat said. Issues obscured The ideological differences between the parties are slight. The Awami League is seen as more pro-Indian and left-leaning, while the BNP is viewed as more proPakistani. But the issues were largely obscured during the campaign, while the two leaders exchanged insults. Mrs Zia said Sheikh Hasina had failed to enforce law and order. Many commentators from different political camps say violent crime has increased in recent years. Skirmishes Mrs Zia also criticised Mrs Hasina for not standing up to India. A series of skirmishes on Bangladesh's border with India earlier this year cost the lives of troops and civilians from both countries. Defending her record, Mrs Hasina said the Bangladeshi economy had grown by roughly 5% a year while she was in power. She said that she had ended a tribal insurgency in the south-east, and resolved a dispute with India over the sharing of water from the River Ganges. Islamic tendency Sheikh Hasina says Bangladesh risks losing its secular identity because the BNP is allied with two hardline Muslim parties. In Dhaka, posters with quotations from Osama Bin Laden competed for wall space with pictures of election candidates. The American military build-up has often swallowed more space on the front pages of Bangladeshi newspapers than the election campaign.

Many have died in political violence

Some commentators believe that the BNP and its allies benefited from fears of an impending American attack against Afghanistan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1575704.stm

WIKILEAKS : DGFI, CIVILIAN, ADVISERS BATTLED OVER HASINA, KHALEDA

by News BD on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 12:21pm There was an ongoing battle of will between civilian advisers to the caretaker government of 2007 08 and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence over taking a stance on the fate of former prime ministers, Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The then US ambassador in Dhaka, James F Moriarty, sent a diplomatic cable to Washington on June 12 , 2008 , in which he made the observation, quoting an adviser to the caretaker government of the time. Former commerce and education adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman told Moriarty on June 10 that there was an ongoing battle of wills between an intelligence agency and civilian advisers, who were insisting on engaging the two imprisoned former prime ministers Hasina and Khaleda. Zillur also said the advisers, who were promoting a compromise were engaged in an assertion battle with the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, had taken a harder line against accommodating the two ladies ( Khaleda and Hasina) and their supporters. Soon after the caretaker government came to power on January 12 , 2007 , its military supporters tried to implement a minus two policy of permanently removing Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda from Bangladeshi politics. Supporters of the plan blamed the two women for the endemic corruption and political violence that marred their administrations, the cable read. Zillur, however, told Moriarty that the two women had demonstrated their staying power by retaining their party support while languishing in jail on graft charges. Both the parties had refused to enter a formal dialogue with the caretaker government over the future of Bangladeshs democracy until their release from prison. He said that there was no choice but to engage Hasina and Khaleda, particularly as no new political leaders had emerged to replace them atop their parties. Zillur said that the differing opinions should not be characterised as a showdown; and the advisers had, instead, been able to make their case by bringing stronger arguments to bear on how to move forward. In a separate conversation, Hasan Mahmud, the special personal aide to Hasina, also asserted that the advisers were the driving force in negotiations with the Awami League over her release. In addition to [Zillur] Hossain, communications adviser Ghulam Quader played a crucial role Quader, a retired major general with a background in intelligence, was well respected in the army and DGFI and therefore was able to convince the military of pursuing engagement with the two ladies, Hasan Mahmud is

quoted as saying the cable. Zillur expressed guarded optimism that the political process would move forward, saying all players now realised the importance of keeping negotiating channels alive. He believed that the imprisonment of Hasina and Khaleda had had a shock effect on them, creating a sense of vulnerability that could make them more amenable to compromise. Zillur believed that progress would be laborious, no faster than one step at a time. Although Hasan said that Hasina had agreed not to criticise the caretaker government once she was abroad, he added that the terms and timing of her return to Bangladesh had yet to be worked out. Thornier still were negotiations over the fate of Khaleda, who had said publicly that she did not want to leave Bangladesh. Both of her two imprisoned sons were ailing and there was persistent speculation that they could be released for medical attention abroad if she would agree to accompany them. Hossain said that the future of Khaledas eldest son, Tarique Rahman, was a particularly sensitive issue. Tarique, then senior joint secretary-general of the BNP and viewed as heir apparent to his mother as party leader, was widely perceived to be spectacularly corrupt. Zillur described as unacceptable any scenario under which Tarique returned to power. In a cable sent by the then US ambassador Patricia A Butenis on January 31 , 2007 , the law, justice, and parliamentary affairs adviser to the caretaker government Mainul Hossein said that the government was thinking about long-term reforms for the good of the country. We are having a hard time among ourselves, he said, with differences between the military and the civilians over the extent of press controls and whether bail should be granted to corruption suspects. Mainul was exceptionally frank in acknowledging the militarys leading role in government affairs but also exceptional in arguing that the military was anxious to return to the barracks, according to the cable. Other advisers, including chief adviser [Fakhruddin] Ahmed studiously avoid mentioning the m word (military) and stress the need for long-term reforms as a precondition for meaningful elections. The extent of actual differences between the military and the civilians is unclear but bears careful watching, the cable reads. Butenis in another cable sent on January 29 , 2007 commented, The chief adviser was smooth and business-like in making the governments case for far reaching reforms. During the 45 -minute meeting, there was not even an indirect reference to the military role in his governments creation and operation.

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WikiLeaks: Hasina tried to communicate with Khaleda Zia

Sat, 17/09/2011 - 2:11am | by priyodesk 0 2 0 Email 2 Share

Prime Minister Sheih Hasina was focused on combatting terrorism and establishing regular backchannel communication with her long-time rival , BNP chief Khaleda Zia. This was disclosed by Prime Ministers adviser Gowher Rizvi during his conversation with former US Ambasador James F Moriarty, revealed a Wikileaks cable sent on 28 May, 2009.

Gowher Rizvi. File Photo Rizvi also told the Ambassador the Prime Minister was trying to open a backchannel line of communication with her archrival and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Begum Khaleda Zia. Rizvi floated the name of Moudud Ahmed, who served as Law Minister during the 2001-2006 BNP government, as a possible conduit to Begum Zia for the Awami League. Rizvi added that Ahmed is likely to succeed Khondaker Delwar Hossain as Begum Zia's deputy in the BNP, the cable said. According to that cable, one of the Prime Minister's main frustrations was the incompetence of the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) bureacracy, Gowher Rizvi, a University of Virginia Vice Provost, told the Ambassador during a May 26 meeting. Prime example of this was the failure of GOB officials to adequately respond following a meeting between World Bank leaders and the Prime Minister shortly after she took office. According to Rizvi, the PM and top World Bank officials agreed to collaborate on a comprehensive program to develop a social safety net for Bangladesh's poor. The PM instructed her government to work with the World Bank on this initiative and was dismayed to discover recently that GOB inertia had stalled the project. Rizvi said the Prime Minister had noted a marked decline in the quality of civil servants between her 1996-2001 government and now. "It's not that (the bureaucrats) are unwilling or unsupportive," Rizvi commented. Rizvi said the Prime Minister continued to look for ways to tackle a key priority, strengthening civil-military relations in Bangladesh. Early in her tenure as PM, Hasina talked about establishing a civ-mil structure that might include a Joint Chiefs of Staff and/or a Defense Minister/Advisor. The Bangladesh Rifles mutiny in February made this objective both more difficult and more urgent, Rizvi observed the cable said. During his May 26 meeting with the Ambassador, Rizvi said the GOB must move quickly to get the new Indian governments attention on issues of interest to Bangladesh.

The fact that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would no longer also hold the External Affairs portfolio could mean Bangladesh would lose a staunch ally at the top levels of Indias government. According to Rizvi, Mukherjee as External Affairs Minister championed Bangladeshs interests and his protege, Sheikh Hasina, in the face of Indian leaders less welldisposed toward their neighbor. As Finance Minister, Mukherjee would not have the authority or the time to routinely look out for Bangladesh. In terms of Bangladesh building trust with India, Rizvi and the Ambassador discussed the possibility of Bangladesh handing over United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) leader Anup Chetia, long wanted by the Indian government for his connection to terrorist acts in northeastern India. The Ambassador told Rizvi India was convinced that April bombings in Assam targeting Pranab Mukherjee were orchestrated from Bangladesh (Ref B). Handing over Chetia would send a strong signal of Bangladeshs commitment to cooperating with India to counter terrorism. Rizvi said on May 28 that he had floated with the Prime Minister the idea of handing over Chetia to India. Sheikh Hasina had seemed open to the possibility, but had confessed she did not know where Chetia was. The PM told Rizvi she would try to ascertain Chetias whereabouts. Rizvi noted that the PM seemed to be more dismayed than expected over the recent death of her estranged husband. He acknowledged that her husbands death and the BDR Mutiny had slowed Sheikh Hasinas efforts to address some big issues. Rizvi remained optimistic, however, that the Prime Minister could achieve her goals despite the multitude of roadblocks, including pressure from her government, family and other vested interests. Rizvis views on a range of issues reflect ours, and he provides an invaluable avenue to the Prime Minister. He raised many of our issues in a three-hour meeting with her following his May 26 call on the Ambassador. He remains a valuable contact and conduit for information. News Source: The Independent
http://news.priyo.com/politics/2011/09/17/wikileaks-hasina-tried-communi-37589.html