Inevitable has happened : a belated act of balance

Ajoy Roy

The inevitable has happened ï¿½ at long last the grand Queen of Bangladesh, Begum Saheba, widow of ex\president general Ziaur Rahman, twice prime minister of Bangladesh, Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been arrested from her cantonment resident in the early morning of September 3, 2007at around 5-30 a.m. The arrest followed a case filed by one deputy secretary of Anti Corruption Commission at Tejgaon Police station at 11-30 p.m. on September 2, 2007.

Yet another drama staged at the cantonment residence of Begum Khaleda

Our disciplined force has a strong histrionic sense, many a times they displayed it very beautifully. At midnight of September 2, police force encircled the residence of Khaleda Begum in a dramatic fashion. Around 3-30 morning the discipline forces reinforced it with police and few platoons of RAB; the warrant of arrest was sent inside to Begum Khaleda, who said that she needed some time. At 5-30 a.m. the discipline force entered her residence and arrested the queen and her younger son Prince Arafat Rahman Koko. Both the arrestees were then taken to CMM court around 8 am in the following morning escorted by not less than fifty microbuses, cars and special jeeps, pajeras, police vehicles etc, a royal procession indeed. She was then produced before the CMM magistrate court, which rejected the bail petition and issued an order to sent Ex PM Begum Zia to jail. She as well as her lawyers pleaded not guilty and termed the case of corruption filed against her as conspiratory in nature. She was then brought to a special jail in Sangsad Bhavan area. In fact the residence of the speaker has been named as special jail. What a luxurious jail. There should not be any problem for ex PM because it is a mere change of residence only. As the jail authority said that residence is a VIP residence furnished with modern furniture and equipped with all modern facilities including TV, Friz etc, except perhaps she would not have the necessary facilities for teleconference with her followers and admirers. But donï¿½t worry madam has many admirers inside the jail as well government administration.

The Government of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, skillfully advised and guided by army generals, took long seven months to put Begum Zia, Prime minister of most corrupted and worst government in the history of BD, which led Bangladesh to the status of failed state. The most talkative adviser Barrister Moinul Husain said that the arrest of Begum Zia is not an act of balance, she was arrested on the basis of specific charges brought against her by the anti corruption commission. He claimed that his government is strictly neutral in this matter. This brought a hundred dollar question among the interested circle - is the action taken against Begum Khaleda is just an eyewash? Why BD government took so long a time- from whose clearance they were waiting for? We do not know. Only the time knows the answer.

Charges Against Begum Zia

It is alleged that in collusion with other 13 co-accused including her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko she arranged to give contract to a relatively inexperience contractor farm named ï¿½GATOï¿½ for handling Container Depot at Chittagong port and Internal Container Depot (ICD) at Kamalapur. It is further alleged that the proprietor (?) of the GATO happened to be son of an important BNP leader, Minister of Sea and Navigation affairs Col. (retired) late Akbar Hosain. As a result the government had incurred a loss of not less than Taka one thousand crores. Other accused are:

Commodore Julfiqar Ali, PSC, ex-chairman of Chittagong port authority, Chairman AMM Shahadat Hosain, AMM Sarwar Hosain, ex-director (transport), Ahmed Abul Kashem, Chief finance and account officer, Lutfal Kabir, member, Ismail Hosain Saymon (son of late col. Akbar Hosain), Sayed Galib Ahmed, Director, GATO, Sayed Tanvir Ahmed, Mrs. Jahanara Ansar, AKM Musa Kajol and Ehsan Yusuf. It is learnt that the incident took place some time March 2003. It is said that original tenders, being not up to the standard it was decided by the fir fresh tenders. But itï¿½s rumored that the then PM intervened and without showing any reason unilaterally gave order to the GATO. It is further rumored that Mr. Saymon was the negotiator in this matter between the GATO and PM via Koko. Koko demanded crores of rupees for the purpose from Saymon, who it is alleged that Saymon obtained more than two crores taka from the company most of which he had given to Koko. How far this story is correct it is the anti corruption secretariat to substantiate at the court. Till then let us keep our fingers crossed.

Mannam Bhuiyan Sacked.

Before going to the sub-jail, the BNP chairperson sacked partyï¿½s secretary general Mr. Mannan Bhuiyan from the post in a written letter addressed to Mr. Bhuiya. She also sacked the joint secretary of the party too. She nominated Mr. Kh Delwar Hosain as new Party General secretary. The disgraced Bhuiyan however challenged the order of Party Chief saying that the action is illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic. Mr. Bhuiyan where you have been so long in supporting all actions of your Boss until then. The division in BNP is complete. Government would rejoice- thinking that at least one minus is going to be achieved. God bless you ! Amen.

Prof. Ajoy K. Roy--a reputed scientist and human rights activist from Bangladesh--is the member of Mukto-Mona advisory board. He writes from Dhaka.