Khaleda vows to form 'nationalist govt.'

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA, OCT. 2. The leader of the Bangladesh National Party, Begum Khaleda Zia, has virtually started her campaign for the next general elections with a call to the people to support the candidates of the four- party Opposition alliance. She said the alliance, if voted to power, would form a ``nationalist government''.

Begum Zia's call came at a public rally organised by the alliance's at Mymensingh one month after the Opposition leaders, in a rather hasty move, signed an accord on electoral alliance. On August 24, Begum Zia, the Jamaat-e-Islami chief, Prof. Golam Azam, and the IOJ leader, Maulana Azizul Huq, rushed to the residence of Gen. H. M. Ershad, the former dictator and now Jatiya Party chairperson, a few hours after he was sentenced to five years in jail by a High Court bench in a corruption case, and signed the deal.

Incidentally, the corruption case against Gen. Ershad was filed during Begum Zia's regime.

The Mymensingh rally which was fairly big, has raised the morale of the alliance, particularly of Gen. Ershad and the religious fundamentalists, because Begum Zia, for the first time, disclosed her plan to include even those politicians who still toe ``one- Pakistan'' concept, in her cabinet in the name of forming a ``nationalist government''.

The Opposition, now seemingly united, has made many charges against the Hasina Government, the most serious of them being deterioration in the law and order situation. Flinging charges of ``corruption'' against the ruling party, Khaleda Zia alleged that the Awami League was trying to hang on to power through rigging and use of money power. The ruling party responded by charging that the Opposition combine had prepared a blueprint to grab power through conspiracy and make Bangladesh a ``neo-Pakistan'' with the help of ``a foreign secret agency''.

In her latest attempt to kick off the anti-Government agitation, Begum Zia called for a countrywide hartal on Monday to protest against ``terrorism''. The Opposition alliance had called a similar hartal on August 30 to protest enhanced fuel prices. However, they failed to draw public response.

The BNP chief, who returned home on September 23 from Saudi Arabia, announced several demonstrations, including a joint rally in northern Dinajpur on October 10. The Home Minister, Mr. Mohamad Nasim, alleged that Begum Zia had established contacts with a ``foreign intelligence agency'' during her trip to Saudi Arabia. In fact, the issue of the involvement of Pakistan's ISI in the internal affairs of Bangladesh is becoming more talked about than at any time before with the pro-liberation politicians and other leading personalities demanding shutting down of the Pakistan embassy in Dhaka. They allege that the embassy has become the centre ``from where all activities of ISI are planned and executed.''

The new spell of street agitation from October 10 is a pre- planned strategy of the Opposition which has found the period suitable. It has decided to step up the agitation to gauge the mood of the people, particularly on the alarming law and order situation, to reap political benefit. While public concern about the growing violence is real, it remains uncertain how far the agitation will succeed as all such efforts during the last two years have failed.

Though the Opposition parties have been reaffirming unity, the combine has still not tackled the hard task of sharing parliamentary seats among the partners.

Begum Zia asked for votes a few days after the Prime Minister instructed her party to get ready for the election that may be called at any time. Despite the strong Opposition alliance, Sheikh Hasina believes that her party will do well in the poll. But many sympathisers of the party believe that the party may be underestimating the alliance.

It is difficult to say when the election is going to be held. The Awami League must be waiting for an opportune time to call election, to catch the opponents unprepared. Sheikh Hasina's five-year term ends on July 12, 2001. Elections must be held within three months thereafter under a non-party caretaker government.

Strategists in the Awami League are reportedly pondering two options regarding the schedule for the poll - either May-June or September-October next year. Some argue that elections would be held in October and that's the reason the Government had deferred the NAM summit from October next year to January 2002.

Both the ruling party and the Opposition apprehend troubles in the general elections. The BNP leader, Prof. Badruddoza Chowdhury, has expressed the fear that the elections would not be fair and peaceful.

The Prime Minister has charged that the Opposition alliance, which includes ``anti-Bangladesh elements'', might grab power through the backdoor. After failing to oust her Government, the Opposition alliance had been conspiring to torpedo the election. ``But the change of power must be done through the ballot... Government must be formed through election, not by wielding arms or promulgating martial law,'' she told a public function at Gazipur recently.

Though Sheikh Hasina has ruled out any electoral alliance, she may come to an understanding with left and progressive groups, leaving a handful of seats for them.

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Section  : International
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