The New Nation - Internet Edition

Hasanuzzaman Khan

In a dramatic haste within a day the Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was exempted from personal appearance in the special courts where she was facing corruption charges. The whole exercise was undertaken ostensibly to allow the Awami League leader to go abroad for medical treatment.

The court is learnt to have said, she does not have to appear in the court herself clearing the way for her departure to freedom from detention on corruption charges. The whole issue of medical treatment of the detained top political leader thus has been termed to have been reduced to something of a farce.

Here the political expediency seems to have taken upperhand of everything.

She could have been sent abroad earlier for treatment as she was on the verge of losing hearing following August 21 granade blast in 2004. Her ear complications seemed to have gone beyond repair. Now the situation has changed dramatically and it is not clear how the heaps of the obstacles which were accumulated over her passage to freedom from detention was removed.

Despite removal of legal barriers, behind-the-scene bargain facilitating the travel of the now detained Ex-PM Hasina to US, UK, or Canada has not yet completed. Her present predicament is far from over.

The Law Ministry in it's last minute bargain said the former PM who is on trial in the corruption cases will have to appear before the court for submissions when the court requires so. In that case she will have to return home even risking the possibility of her re-arrest. A source said, the government announcement of setting Hasina free was being delayed, as she prefers to visit Tungipara, her ancestral home where the mazar of her father lies. But the government does not want to take any risk of law and order. A government functionary said, she should straight go to the Zia International Airport to catch the first flight available for Canada.

Sharfuddin Khan Mukul, the prosecution lawyer said it is neither a parole nor a bail for her. The court can order release of any accused for the cause of treatment abroad. The court can also issue order of her reappearance before the court if it feels necessary.

Mukul said that she would still face charges of corruption and her lawyers would represent her in absentia. Hasina faces numerous charges including an allegation that she and her two family members received huge sums in bribes from a businessman between 1996 and 2001. The trial would continue and she may be convicted in absentia. In that case she will be debarred from contesting polls for five years. Hasina returned to the country in 1981 at the initiative of Dr. Kamal Hossain from a self imposed exile but Kamal had to quit Awami League due to what he termed despotic behaviour of party chief Sheikh Hasina.

Since then Hasina enjoyed unquestioned loyalty of the party leaders and workers. The reformist leaders who surfaced after 1/11 could not bring about any cherished reform in the Awami League to effect democratisation of the party. Awami League may face split in the absence of Hasina, political watchers say. There is no single or unified leadership in the Awami League to fill up the vacuum in the party. Last year in April the return of Sheikh Hasina from USA was prohibited by the caretaker Government. The government has to allow her to return home in the face of protests. She was arrested on July 16 last year in an extortion case filed by businessman Azam J Chowdhury after her return. Since then she has been in jail.

The Awami League may be entangled in severe power struggle in the period of Hasina's absence. It is yet to be seen what deal Hasina has reached with the Caretaker Government regarding her safe exit from the country.

In the mean time Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of former PM Khaleda Zia was denied bail and consequently overseas treatment though he has reportedly suffered fructure in backbone. Khaleda Zia has ruled out going abroad for medical treatment. She said there was no need to do so as Bangladesh has enough good doctors.

Khaleda's comments follow reports suggesting that the caretaker government may allow her to go abroad for medical treatment.