AL's Khaleda U-turn puzzles BNP

Law minister Anisul Huq recently said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's release in graft cases by an executive order had "no strings attached" and there is "no bar" to her doing politics. It made quite a stir in the political arena ahead of the national polls slated for December or January next year.

Political observers and top leaders of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are questioning the motives behind the law minister's statement as they smell a rat.

"It's just a political rhetoric of the Awami League and we don't believe it," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told The Business Standard.  

Some political analysts suggest that Anisul Huq's statement may be an attempt to mislead the public, distract the BNP's campaign for a non-partisan caretaker government ahead of elections, and show the Western blocs that the government is committed to ensuring participatory and fair elections.

Besides, several top BNP leaders have labelled the law minister's statement "political bait" to bring the party to the next polls under the current government.

The government released Khaleda Zia in 2020 after she was sent to jail in 2018 in corruption cases. After her release, top Awami League leaders had said several times that Khaleda Zia's sentence has been suspended on two conditions: Khaleda Zia will neither do politics nor leave the country.

Before the latest comment, the law minister himself in December last year said if the BNP chairperson joins BNP's 10 December rally in Dhaka, the conditions of her bail will be violated.   

Slightly puzzled by the U-turn of the ruling party, BNP leaders say if Khadela Zia now does not become involved in the BNP's anti-government campaign, the government may accuse the party of deterring her from political activity. 

On the other hand, if Khaleda Zia does become politically active, the government may argue that her release conditions have been violated and that there is no justification for suspending her punishment.

According to the law minister, Khaleda Zia can do politics as "a free person" but cannot contest the next election due to her conviction. 

Echoing the same, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told The Business Standard on Tuesday that Khaleda Zia's release in the executive order does not include the condition that she cannot do politics. She has the right to do politics as a citizen.

"However, she is still a convicted person and her sentence are still subsisting. The suspension is for humanitarian reasons. Now it is up to her whether she will do politics or not," said the attorney general.

But Mirza Fakhrul claimed the BNP chief is eligible for both better treatments abroad and contesting the next polls.  

"Additionally, Khaleda Zia and her family members will decide what she would do, not the government," added Fakhrul. 

Similar to the attorney general, former law minister Barrister Shafiq Ahmed referring to the constitution said that no person who has been convicted in criminal cases can contest the national elections for a certain period of time. 

"Now if someone abuses the release on humanitarian grounds to do politics, it will be absolutely abominable," Barrister Shafiq told The Business Standard. 

BNP Vice-President Advocate Zainul Abedin said that the government is saying different things about the release of Khaleda Zia, which is just a trick to divert people's attention during the country's economic crisis.

According to Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbububal Alam Hanif, if Khaleda Zia participates in political activities, Awami League will not interfere.

But the return, according to some political observers, may help deepen political distrust and blur potential changes to the political landscape.