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Matia Chowdhury says: Reforms minus two, won’t help democracy to flourish
By Staff Reporter
Sat, 7 Jul 2007, 23:04:00

Awami League Presidium member Begum Matia Chowdhury yesterday said
Political reforms “minus” two former Prime Ministers and top political leaders—Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina—would be disastrous for the country.

“The practice of democracy minus the two top leaders—Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia—is a ‘misconception”, she said, adding, “Politics can not be healthy without Khaleda and Hasina.”

She said current and crosscurrents kept surfacing in the current process of political reforms, as many of its architects were trying to ‘drive’ the two top leaders out of politics.
This process will weaken the major political parties and encourage further growth of militancy and extremism in the country, she added.

Begum Matia Chowdhury, who regularly makes a public statement in front of the Sudha Sadan residence of Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina, said this while talking to journalists yesterday.

”The government is speaking of democracy and secularism on the one hand and keeping the parties and two top leaders confined on the other,” Matia Chowdhury alleged.
Justifying her observation, she referred to a Wall Street Journal report, which said, “If political parties are weakened, it will help rise and strengthen extremism in the country.”
Meanwhile, Advocate Shahara Khatun and Advocate Qamrul Islam
met AL chief Sheikh Hasina and discussed legal matters about the cases filed against her.
Advocate Shahara Khatun is Law Secretary of the AL Central Working Committee while Advocate Qamrul Islam is a Vice-President of its Dhaka City unit.

Both of them are legal counsel of Sheikh Hasina, who is facing at least two new corruption charges.



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