Khaleda's Moment Of Truth

Khaleda's Moment Of Truth

- Reaz Ahmad

When Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina embarked on an apparent campaign trail in Sylhet last week, her chief political foe Khaleda Zia was in national capital Dhaka having series of indoor meetings with party comrades to strategize the future beyond February 8. Come Thursday, a judgement will be handed down to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson. This is about a graft charge relating to a trust, founded for the cause of orphans and named after Zia, her slain husband. The Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases that matured first is among 32 cases filed against Khaleda, a three-time ex-prime minister. Since a Dhaka court fixed February 8 for pronouncing the verdict, a storm started brewing over Khaleda Zia’s political future in an election year. Sheikh Hasina has long been accusing the ex-premier of robbing orphans of their wealth while the latter tried hard projecting the case as a manifestation of political vendetta against her. Bangladesh’s judiciary must have weighed the case on law points and a verdict must be coming on the basis of case merit, arguments and proofs.

Its prejudice to preempt and discuss a court verdict in a way that may influence the outcome before it is pronounced. But one can always moot on the aftermath. BNP has done so and will continue to do so in run up to the judgement day. And as a first step what the party has already done is quite significant by any definition. BNP amended its charter, dropping Article 7 which stipulated that no one can stay in a party committee if he or she is convicted by a court. Upon approval by the party’s highest policymaking body – the standing committee – a BNP delegation also submitted the amended charter to the Election Commission.