Will Khaleda Zia be freed before Eid?
Anisur Rahman Khan :
In the run up to the 12th parliamentary election scheduled for early next year, the issue of the release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has come to the fore.
Though the BNP party insiders are not making any comments in this regard at the moment, the issue will definitely be at the center of all discussions with the ruling Awami League in the event of any dialogue takes place over the ongoing political impasse centering holding of the upcoming parliament elections under nonpartisan and neutral government.
The release of Begum Khaleda Zia is not the current issue for the BNP, because during their countrywide long march and rallies, the party had repeatedly voiced its demand for an unconditional release of Khaleda Zia.
Multiple sources claimed that Khaleda Zia will be freed before Eid-ul-Azha.
Some top leaders of BNP told this correspondent that their movement’s main objective is to restore the caretaker government system for holding a free and credible election and at the same time the unconditional release of the party chief.
However, the government has refuted such a development centering Khaleda Zia’s release and termed it a ‘rumour’ which is circulating around.
Meanwhile, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Sunday said that he had heard it but he did not know whether there has been any petition filed with the Home Ministry and even he didn’t receive any such file to this effect.
Different political leaders said that the government is under tremendous pressure both locally and internationally for holding the upcoming general elections credible and impartial.
The US government has already imposed a new visa restriction policy on Bangladesh and this policy will be applied to those who will be responsible for or complicit in undermining a free and fair democratic electoral process during the next national polls.
Some leaders of the ruling party Awami League have already been clamoring for dialogue in different political programmes.
On the other hand, the main opposition BNP considers it as AL strategy to dillydally the issue.
However, some BNP leaders said that they will not join any dialogue without specific agenda.
Considering the present political circumstances, the issue of release of BNP Chairperson is being murmured in different political circles.
If dialogue really takes pace with the BNP-the party chief Begum Khaleda Zia’s presence is a must, some BNP leaders said.
