Hasina's arrest can backfire against authorities

Dhaka, July 17: The arrest of a former Bangladesh prime minister sparked harsh media criticism of the country's military-backed government today, including warnings the move could backfire against the authorities.

Sheikh Hasina, prime minister for the five years through 2001 and accused of corruption during her rule, was taken from her home in Dhaka and sent to jail by a city court yesterday as her followers protested.

The protests were spontaneous but short-lived, as the country is now under emergency rule imposed by the interim government that took over in January following deadly clashes between supporters of Hasina and her rival Begum Khaleda Zia.

Khaleda was twice prime minister and heads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Hasina leads the Awami League, the country's other major party.

While the public protests quickly faded under rules barring normal political activity, the arrest brought strong condemnations today from some newspapers and commentators.

The Daily Star, Bangladesh's top English-language daily, called Hasina's detention a ''wrong and unacceptable decision''.

''Politics enters a heightened state of tension and confrontation with the arrest... The government must now explain, to the satisfaction of the public, why the Awami League chief needed to be detained,'' the Star said in an editorial comment.

The arrest ''sends out all the wrong signals about the nation's democratic political future,'' it added.

The interim government has said it wants to clean up politics from corruption, put in place a purer form of democracy, and make Bangladesh a true welfare state governed by honest politicians.

It and others have levelled corruption accusations against Khaleda as well as Hasina, and the authorities had already effectively restricted movements by the two women, who deny any wrongdoing and say the charges are politically motivated.

The government has detained more than 170 key political figures in an anti-corruption drive, including Khaleda's son Tareque Rahman.

The arrest of Hasina raised the possibility Khaleda might also find herself behind bars soon, boosting speculation the interim authority was eager to effectively remove the two from politics as it prepares to hold an election late next year.

Another daily newspaper, the New Age, said ''the assertions of certain advisers to the military-driven interim government... had given rise to the apprehension that the incumbents were still intent on arbitrarily forcing the two top political leaders (Khaleda and Hasina) out of politics.

''The arrest of Hasina... has proved that the apprehension was neither far-fetched nor misplaced. Regrettably, the interim government does not seem to have much regard for public perception or apprehension,'' the paper said.

The country's election commission has said it was drafting rules that would prevent those convicted of crimes from contesting elections for at least for three years.

Respected journalist and columnist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury said in a newspaper comment Hasina's arrest was ''perhaps the biggest mistake done by the caretaker government.'' He said it meant the authorities were ''playing with fire,'' and predicted it might reaffirm Hasina as still a top leader, instead of eroding her fame.

However, some other political observers disagreed.

''This is not a time for sympathy or compassion for politicians, including the top leaders,'' said Ahmed Raisuddin, a private bank executive.

''Hasina and Khaleda have given the country enough lawlessness and made it a tough ride for democracy. It would be unrealistic to think they will change much,'' said a government official who asked not to be named.

Reuters

Related Stories