The New Nation - Internet Edition

Khaleda freed: Tarique relieved of party post, barred from doing politics

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia visiting her elder
son Tarique Rahman at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical
University as she was free on bail on Thursday. NN
photo

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia waving to the
partymen from the balcony of the party's central office at
Naya Paltan in the city on Thursday. Banglar Chokh

Staff Reporter

The government yesterday released former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia from jail as she was awarded bail by the Court paving the way for a credible election to restore democracy in the country.

Begum Zia and her younger son Arafat Rahman were arrested in GATCO graft case on Sept. 3 last year. The High Court granted her bail in all the four graft cases during the last several days ,the last one on Tuesday.

Begum Zia, who was prime minister of the country for two terms, was greeted by thousands of party leaders and workers when she came out from the makeshift jail at the sanghsad Bhaban.They raised full throated slogans seeing their beloved leader.The members of the law enforcing agencies had a difficult time to maintain discipline and control the cheering crowd who thronged the jail gate to have a glimpse of Begum Zia after long one year.

After stepping out the special jail Begum Zia waved to the crowd who showered her with flower patels amid slogans.

BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain and BNP leaders SQ Chowdhury, ASM Hannan Shah and Goyeshwar Chandra Roy , among others, were present on the occasion.

Immediately after her release from jail, she accompanied by senior party leaders went straight to the grave of her husband former president Ziaur Rahman and offered munjat.Thereafter, she went to the BSMMU Hospital at Shahbagh to see her ailing son Tarique Rahman. At the BSMMU too, a large number of party workers and general people gathered to see her.

When surrounded by newsmen at the hospital, Begum Zia said"I am not saying anything now. I will say everything later."

Referring to Tarique Rahman's physical condition, Khaleda Zia said she talked to the physicians who advised sending him abroad on emergency basis for his better treatment.

"Physicians said Tarique would have to stay abroad for his treatment for a long time," she said, adding that he will not conduct any political activity during his stay abroad. "After returning home cured, he will resume his political activities," she said.

"Tarique wants to be relieved of political activities as well as of his political posts. He won't perform any political activity unless he recovers from his illness," said khaleda Zia.

She broke down in tears telling the newsmen about condition of her son, who had wielded immense power during her rule and was arrested by army-led joint forces after the state of emergency was declared in the country.

Earlier, after reaching the party office, Khaleda held a meeting with party's standing-committee members.

Later she went to the party office at Naya Paltan in the city. There she told reporters "Emergency should be lifted as it is not possible to hold any credible election under emergency".

The BNP chairperson said, "We do not want upazila election before national elections." Describing BNP as an election-oriented party, Begum Zia, who had headed government thrice since the last restoration of democracy through the 1990 people-power movement, said if the government creates election atmosphere, her party would certainly participate in the upcoming elections.

"We are ready to sit in discussion and electoral dialogue with the government. "Election has to be held with the participation of all parties."

She urged the interim government to take rapid initiatives so that "people's government can come to power for healing the country's deplorable condition".

Khaleda reached her Dhaka Cantonment home at around 5:20pm.

Earlier at 11: 30 am,Deputy inspector general of prisons Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said the BNP chairperson was now free to go home on bail.

Bail bonds for Khaleda were submitted by her lawyers earlier on Wednesday to four separate courts conducting the GATCO, Niko, Zia Orphanage Trust and Barapukuria coalmine cases.

The government also wants Khaleda Zia to travel abroad for medical treatment for her arthritic knee, but she does not want to leave, sources said.

Ashraful still AL acting Secy: Zillur: Senior leaders boycott Jalil

Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil

Agencies

Awami League joint general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam is still working as the acting general secretary of the party, the party's acting president Zillur Rahman told bdnews24.com Thursday.

Earlier in the day Jalil claimed he had officially resumed work as Awami League general secretary, demanding authorities unconditionally release party chief Sheikh Hasina and hold general elections before upazila polls.

Jalil had met with Zillur after being released on bail on Wednesday.

Zillur had told reporters at the time that, in line with the party constitution, after being released on bail Jalil was the Awami League general secretary.

When Zillur's attention was drawn to this, he said: "Our party's general secretary is Mr Abdul Jalil. But the charge of the general secretary has technically not yet been handed over to him."

"Syed Ashraful Islam is still discharging the responsibilities of the party general secretary. He is the acting general secretary," said Zillur.

The AL acting chief said party policy markers would hold a meeting "in four or five days", following which the post would formally be handed over to Jalil.

All of the senior leaders of Awami League were conspicuous by their absence as just-released party general secretary Abdul Jalil yesterday placed floral wreaths on the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to formally resume his responsibility.

None of the AL Presidium members and party's acting president Zillur Rahman and acting general secretary Ashraful Islam was with him-which has never ever been seen on such an occasion of homage paying to their late patriarch.

The absence of the entire party hierarchy from his political repatriation function after release from detention signifies that he is going to get a rough ride.

Abdul Jalil, who was released on bail Wednesday, standing in front of the Bangabandhu portrait, declared that with showing respects to the party founder he formally started discharging the duty of party general secretary.

In the absence of Jalil after he was arrested on charge of corruption and then sent to Singapore for treatment, Syed Ashraful Islam acted as general secretary. But on the court premises Wednesday, just after he was enlarged on bail, Jalil himself via media declared: "I have again taken the office of general secretary."

He, in this context, cited the automation clause in party constitution that needs no formal charge handover.

Jalil, accompanied by AL office secretary Abdul Mannan Khan, city AL acting general secretary Advocate Kamrul Islam, Advocate Sahara Khatun and some 100 party activists, went to the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and placed the wreaths at 10:30am.

Talking to reporters Abdul Jalil asked the government for permanently and unconditionally releasing the party president, Sheikh Hasina, now abroad for treatment, and holding the long-awaited parliamentary polls before the "controversial" upazila elections.

"With showing respects to the Father of the Nation, I started performing the duty of AL general secretary. I will again sacrifice myself for restoring democracy in Bangladesh," he said.

Jalil was the main man in leading fierce anti-government protests until the immediate-past BNP-led coalition ended its tenure into a political crisis that eventually imperiled all of the politicians under the current state of emergency coupled with anti-graft purge.

The AL leader returned home on August 31 after six months' treatment in Singapore after his release on parole.

The reporters asked him whether the AL would arrange any party council to bring change in the party's constitution in line with the Election Commission-prescribed registration process under the reforms in the interim period.

Jalil said if all in the party feel it necessary, then obviously there would be party council for needed changes.

He was allowed to go abroad on health grounds after his temporary release on parole on March 2 in a case filed on charge of amassing illegal wealth.

During the talks with the journalists, Jalil vowed to work hard to ensure the victory of his party in the next general election under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.

"Sheikh Hasina is the only person who has that power to give the golden days back to the country's people," he said in an apparent change of tone he had reportedly struck while in custody in favor of party reform.

He promised to escalate their movement for freeing Sheikh Hasina.

Meanwhile, sources in the party said the absence of the AL presidium members and other key leaders might be the result of their and party chief Sheikh Hasina's "dissatisfaction" over the sudden announcement of resuming the office of general secretary.

"He (Jalil) even did not listen to our Party Chief Sheikh Hasina's suggestion for taking rest for some more days," an AL presidium member told UNB, preferring anonymity.

Asked why the senior leaders did not join Jalil in placing floral wreathes at Bangabandhu's portrait, the influential presidium member said he was not informed about such programme.

News reports published in the national dailies Thursday said Sheikh Hasina, after the declaration of Jalil on Wednesday, phoned acting president Zillur Rahman and wanted to know on what grounds Jalil himself could declare him as the general secretary of the party.

Hasina also reportedly said acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam would continue with his current job.

Capital market remains unaffected by political developments

Pulack Ghatack

Bangladesh's capital market seems to be unaffected by the country's politics, as arrest and release of top leaders, uncertainty, possibility of turmoil or progress towards democracy do not cast any impact on it.

The indices in the country's twine bourses rather march to opposite direction to what it is expected in other countries in the cases of highly sensitive political developments.

Share prices plunged sharply on stock exchanges of Dhaka and Chittagong yesterday, when former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia was released marking a progress towards democracy through election.

It happened opposite on September 3 last year, when Khaleda Zia was arrested. The total turnover on the on the DSE reached to its peak of Tk 214.79 crore on that day.

Despite the arrest of the former prime minister, the banking sector shares continued surging. "It seems the market gets used to recent political developments in the country," market analysts said at that time.

Same was the case when another Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was arrested and released.

The July 16 arrest of Hasina, that mounted political uncertainty, cast a slight shadow on the buyers and sellers at capital market when people from all spheres of life had been discussing and questioning one another about the future of the country.

The stocks rather rallied paradoxically with the political scenario. Stocks suffered a brief jolt in the morning trade on that day on the news of arrest of Awami League president Sheikh Hasina.

The news of Hasina's arrest triggered a panic selling at the Dhaka Stock Exchange and stock prices fell 15 points within 15 minutes from the opening. But the perplexity was short-lived and the market soon started picking up on buying pressure spurred by positive disclosures of Square Pharmaceuticals, a big corporate house.

Turnover on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) reached a new height of Tk 2.39 billion at the end of that day, breaking the June 26 height of Tk 2.34 billion. Trading at Chitagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed higher yesterday with the gainers dominating the losers.

However, yesterday the stocks plunged sharply at DSE and CSE when it was expected to be a day for the gainers in view of political progress with release of Khaleda Zia.

Amidst a low trading at DSE, the total turnover dipped to Tk 3.23 billion yesterday as 147 declined, 69 gained and 7 remained unchanged as 20,022,180 shares changed hands.

The DGEN or general index of DSE declined 9.36 points or 0.33 per cent at 2850.17. The DSI or all-share price index went down 14.82 points or 0.61 per cent to finish at 2406.71, while the DSE-20 blue-chip index fall 9.36 points or .24 per cent to 2442.29.

In Chittagong, the CSE All Share Price Index (CASPI) decreased by 0.11 percent or 9.70 points to close at 8739.48 points from Wednesday's 8749.18 points.

The CSE-30 Index also shed by 0.14 percent to close at 7789.54 points from 7800.91 points on the previous trading day.

A total of 144 issues were traded at CSE yesterday. Of them, 54 gained, 87 declined and three remained unchanged.

The share market is showing its insensitivity to political prospects with release of former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, market analysts observed.

BNP to take part in polls, dialogue: Khaleda

Staff Reporter

The just released former prime minister and BNP Chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday announced that her party would take part in dialogue and elections.

Talking to journalists at the party's central office at Naya Paltan in the city, first time after her release, Begum Zia demanded of the Government for withdrawal of the state of emergency to create congenial atmosphere for elections and hold parliament election first before upazila election.

"We do not want upazila election before national elections," she said.

The BNP Chairperson said the state of emergency should be lifted because holding a credible election is not possible under the emergency.

After reaching the party office at about 4:15pm, Begum Zia held a meeting with party's standing-committee members.

Terming the BNP a pro-election party, she said the BNP believes in dialogue and her party would go to dialogue and take part in the upcoming elections if the government creates a congenial atmosphere.

On division in the BNP, Begum Zia said that her party is an united party and there are no divisions in it. She called upon her party leaders and activists to work together.

She said the four-party alliance still remains intact and the alliance would take part in the polls unitedly.

Begum Zia, three-time prime minister, firmly said that the four-party alliance would make a comeback to power with the mandate of the people if the elections are held in a free and fair manner.

Telling journalists about the condition of her son, she broke down in tears and said physicians advised sending him abroad on emergency basis.

The BNP Chairperson announced that Tarique Rahman would not conduct any political activity during his stay abroad.

"Tarique wanted to be relieved of political activities as well as of his political posts. He won't perform any political activity unless he recovers from his illness," she said.

Quoting from doctors, she said Tarique has to stay abroad for his treatment for a long time.

BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain, SQ Chowdhury, ASM Hannan Shah and Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, among others, were present.

Police swoop on BNP activists: 10 injured

Staff Reporter

At least ten BNP activists were injured as police swung into action on them in front of the party central office at Naya Paltan yesterday.

The riot police suddenly attacked the BNP workers as they gathered in front of the party office just before the arrival of its chairperson Khaleda Zia at about 4pm and started clubbing them to clear the way for her to enter the party office after a long time, injuring the 10 BNP men.

The injured were taken to different city clinics.

Hearing Khaleda's release, thousands of BNP supporters started gathering in front of the party central office since noon in a festive mood. They danced, chanted slogans and waved national and party flags as they waited there to have a glimpse of their beloved leader Khaleda Zia. A severe traffic jam was created from Kakrail to Naya Paltan areas, causing sufferings to commuters in hot and humid weather.

Meanwhile, the BNP workers roughed up four supporters of former state minister for Education Ehsanul Haque Milon, a pro-reformist leader, at Bijoy Sarani crossing at about 12:00, branding them as collaborators of the present government.

Later, police rescued them from the wrath of the BNP activists.

Govt initiative to put Khaleda, Hasina across table

Staff Reporter

The government would take imitative to sit the two political rivals-BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina to discuss issues across the table.

Adviser for Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman dropped the hint while briefing reporters at the Secretariat yesterday. Adviser for Communications Maj Gen (Retd) Ghulam Quader and Adviser for Law and Justice AF Hassan Ariff were present.

"We have taken the initiative to resolve the political crisis and bring back the practice of healthy politics in the country," Hossain Zillur said.

He hoped that the two top leaders would not only respond to this move but also take initiatives on their own as the two leaders have contributed a lot to the country.

"We also hope that they will continue their contributions in the future as well," he hoped.

Referring to the release of former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, he said a new chapter in achieving progress in restoring democracy in the country, he said, "The Government has made headway with its efforts to further democracy by releasing Khaleda Zia."

The Adviser said with the release of Begum Zia participation of all political parties in the upcoming elections have also been ensured.

The former prime minister was released on bail from prison yesterday. Another former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is currently on parole and taking treatment in the United States. She is expected to return home next month.

Replying to a question on possible deal between the government and the political parties, he said many are viewing the agreement negatively but the initiative for participation of all parties amounts to compromise.

He said the nation is looking forward to three things now - an acceptable election with the participation of all parties, a qualitative development of politics, and political and economic development after the elections.

Zillur further said a number of conditions of the emergency powers rules would be relaxed to allow political parties to hold council sessions.

He said the political parties will have to hold councils to participate in the general elections in line with electoral laws. "If necessary, the government will relax conditions of emergency powers rules," he said.

"We want to create a congenial atmosphere so that all of us can work together for the country. We want political advancement and economic development," the Adviser said.

Bush okays US raids in Pakistan

AP, Washington

President Bush secretly approved U.S. military raids inside Pakistan against alleged terrorist targets, according to a former intelligence official with recent access to the Bush administration's debate about how to fight al-Qaida and the Taliban inside the lawless tribal border area.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the classified order.

The official told The Associated Press that Bush signed the order over the summer. It gives new authority to U.S. special operations forces to target suspected terrorists in the dangerous area along the Afghanistan border.

In addition to the presidential approval for special operations missions, conventional ground troops have new authority to pursue militants across the Afghan border. The "rules of engagement" have been loosened, allowing troops to conduct border attacks without being fired on first if they witness attacks coming from the region. That would include artillery, rockets and mortar fire from the Pakistan side of the border.

The Pakistani government is not told about the targets in advance because of concerns that the Pakistani intelligence service and military are infiltrated by al-Qaida and Taliban supporters, the former official said.

U.S. counterterror operations along the border are highly unpopular in Pakistan, whose new leadership is trying hard to show independence from Washington. At the same time, the former official said, the Pakistan government recognizes that its settled areas are increasingly targeted by terrorist and militant attacks emanating from the tribal region and its military is not equipped to counter the threat.

Earlier, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff has called for a new strategy in Afghanistan to deny militants bases across the border in Pakistan.

Speaking on the eve of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Admiral Mike Mullen called for a military strategy that covered both sides of the border.

The US must work closely with Pakistan to "eliminate [the enemy's] safe havens", he told Congress.

But Pakistan insists it will not allow foreign forces onto its territory.

"There is no question of any agreement or understanding with the coalition forces whereby they are allowed to conduct operations on our side of the border," Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, said.

More coverage throughout the day on BBC World News and BBC World Service

Pakistan's top military commanders are meeting in Rawalpindi, and high on the agenda is thought to be a ground assault by coalition forces in South Waziristan on 4 September, which Pakistan says killed more than a dozen civilians.

In an interview with the BBC, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said such attacks were unproductive and alienated the local population.

'Inextricably linked'

Adm Mullen's call for a new strategy came a day after US President George Bush announced that about 4,500 extra US troops would be sent to Afghanistan by February 2009, bolstering the 33,000 currently stationed in the country.

Until we work more closely with the Pakistani government to eliminate the safe havens from which they operate, the enemy will only keep coming

Adm Mike Mullen

Adm Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee he was not convinced the US was winning in Afghanistan and that a new strategy was needed to address the issue of militants in Pakistan.

"In my view, these two nations are inextricably linked in a common insurgency that crosses the border between them," he said.

"We can hunt down and kill extremists as they cross over the border from Pakistant but until we work more closely with the Pakistani government to eliminate the safe havens from which they operate, the enemy will only keep coming."

Adm Mullen conceded the challenge was great, pointing to Afghanistan's drugs and economic problems, and the "significant political uncertainty" in Pakistan.

James Glassman, a senior US diplomat, told the BBC's HardTALK programme the US was "trying to help to fight these forces that threaten the very existence of a democratic country in Pakistan".

"I think the world would be a much, much less safe place… if we were simply to abandon Pakistan and stop helping the Pakistanis defend themselves," he said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has supported this stance, saying Pakistan needs international help to tackle the problem of Taleban enclaves in its tribal areas.

Mr Karzai told the BBC that Afghanistan had asked for help from the international community to combat terrorism, and said Pakistan should do the same.

The New York Times newspaper reported on Wednesday that President George Bush had approved orders in July to allow US Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without Pakistani approval.

"The situation in the tribal areas is not tolerable," an unnamed senior US official told the newspaper. "We have to be more assertive. Orders have been given."

But a surge of US attacks in Pakistan's border region over the past week has prompted outrage from Pakistan's government and army.

Now stating it as a strategy will only add to the pressure on Pakistan's new President, Asif Ali Zardari, as he grapples with the militants, the BBC's James Coomarasamy reports from Washington.

The White House said on Wednesday that the failure to capture al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden showed the limitations of US military and intelligence operations.

On the eve of the seventh anniversary of 9/11, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said President Bush would have liked to see the al-Qaeda leader brought to justice, but that the US authorities did not have "super-powers".

In another development, Canada confirmed its troops would leave Afghanistan by 2011.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Wednesday that his nation - which suffered significant losses in Afghanistan in recent years - had no appetite for keeping its troops on in Afghanistan past a 2011 deadline imposed in March by parliament.

Tarique leaves for London

UNB, Dhaka

Tarique Rahman, elder son of former premier Khaleda Zia, flew for London last night along with his family members shortly after his just-released mother gave him a tearful sendoff.

His lawyer Advocate Ahmed Azam told UNB that Tarique's wife Dr Jubaida Rahman, daughter Jaima Jarnaz Rahman, wife's elder sister Shahina Khan and her husband Air Commodore (retd) Shafiuzzaman and his personal physician Dr Kazi Majharul Islam Dolan accompanied Tarique on the long-haul trip for overseas treatment.

They flew for the British capital by an airplane of Emirates Airlines at about 9:40 pm. "He is scheduled to take treatment in King's Oak Hospital in Central London," Advocate Azam said.

His scheduled trip was postponed on Wednesday night following last-minute complications, as his mother, who was detained in a sub-jail, wished to see him before he leaves the country.

His mother and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia visited him at BSMMU Hospital in the afternoon in an emotional reunion between the mother and the son after their release from prison.

The ex-Prime Minister was released on bail from the makeshift jail in the parliament complex earlier in the day. She visited her husband Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman's mazar close by the Sangsad Bhaban before going to meet her son.

As she saw her ailing son, Khaleda could not hold back her motherly affection and tears. Entering the cabin, she strode to the bed and embraced Tarique for about 2 minutes.

"Both mother and son were seen quietly shedding tears rolling down their cheeks," says an eyewitnesses account of the emotional meet before they again part with each other for a long time.

Tarique's wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, daughter Zaima and attending doctor and his counsel were present at the time beside his bed.

No change in ACC drive against corruption

UNB, Dhaka

Despite serial release on bail of high-profile graft suspects, including former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, there wouldn't be any change in the activities of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

"The ACC activities will go on the way they are going on now. The Commission has not made any decision to make any change in principle," ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told reporters in regular press briefing on Thursday afternoon.

The ACC spokesperson was asked to comment on the release of Khaleda and if the Commission's activities would be affected following the release of the high-profile accused persons like her.

About the release of Khaleda on bail earlier in the day, he said it is a legal aspect and the anti-graft watchdog did what it could in the court.

Hanif said that Khaleda was released after she was granted bail by the court and so "it will not be right to make any comment".

He said that the ACC has so far sent 56 clemency applications to the Truth and Accountability Commission (Tac) and one of them has come back to the Commission after it was disposed of by the Tac.

Six more persons have applied for referring their cases to the clemency body.

The ACC director general said that in the Commission's meeting with district-and divisional-level officials on August 11-12 it was decided that bribe-takers would be caught red-handed through laying traps with the help of persons from whom bribe is demanded.

Since then, he said, four persons, three of them police personnel, have got caught in the mousetraps.

This is a device added to the massive purge against corruption launched after the January 11, 2007 changeover in state power.

Hanif said according to the Commission's meetings information-providers have been awarded financial rewards.

TCB re-fixes soybean oil price

BSS, Dhaka

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has re-fixed the prices of edible with effect from September 13 next for the holy month of Ramzan.

The TCB, a state owned enterprise, will sell edible oil at reduced prices through its truck-mounted mobile retail outlets in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi metropolitan cities.

As per the decision, the two-liter-bottle of soybean oil will be sold at Taka 204 instead of Taka 216, five liters at Tk. 510 instead of Tk. 540 and 8 liters at Tk. 816 instead of Tk. 864, a press release of TCB said here on Thursday.