'Govt out to have Khaleda convicted'

The BNP has planned to inform the foreign diplomats about the “weaknesses” in the graft case against party chief Khaleda Zia and convey its concern about the “government's eagerness” to convict the former premier to keep her away from elections and politics.

In a meeting with the envoys today, the party will also raise its concern that the path of negotiation over the next parliamentary polls will be closed if the BNP chairperson is convicted, senior party leaders said.

The party will brief the diplomats on the legal aspect and political implication of the upcoming verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The BNP will present its argument saying that the case is “politically motivated” and any verdict sentencing Khaleda will block the path of “restoring democracy” in the country.

According to a senior BNP leader, more than 40 countries, including the USA, the UK, China and India, have so far confirmed sending their representatives to the meeting at the party chairperson's Gulshan office at 4:00pm today.

The party is likely to hand over copies of a written statement on the graft case and the country's latest political situation to the diplomats. Legal experts of the BNP have prepared a draft report on the case.

Talking to The Daily Star, BNP Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed said, “So far I know, they [diplomats] wanted to know about the case. We will apprise them that the case is politically motivated and there is no merit in it. We will also brief them about the latest status of the case.

“The case was filed hastily and the verdict is going to be delivered hurriedly only to humiliate, harass and isolate Khaleda Zia from politics,” he added.

The country's political situation heated up soon after the Dhaka Special Court-5 on January 25 fixed February 8 for announcing the verdict in the graft case against Khaleda and five others.

On July 3, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman, now in the UK, and four others for allegedly misappropriating over Tk 2.1 crore that came from Kuwait through a foreign bank as grants for orphans.

The party had boycotted the January 5, 2013 national polls demanding a non-partisan interim government for holding the elections. Diplomatic efforts were made and even the then United Nations secretary-general sent his special envoy to Dhaka to hold an inclusive election. But the initiatives did not yield any positive result.

Since then, the BNP has been demanding the government hold talks with the opposition parties to finalise the framework of the polls-time government. However, the ruling Awami League rejected the call saying that the polls would be held under the incumbent prime minister.

“How the path of negotiation for an election-time government or the next national polls will be opened if the captain [Khaleda Zia] goes to jail or kept out of the elections?” a BNP standing committee member questioned.

Khaleda had separate meetings with the BNP standing committee members on Saturday and with the 20-party alliance leaders the following day. At the meetings, she called upon her party men and alliance leaders to remain united in future at any cost, said meeting sources.

WHO WILL RUN THE PARTY?

There is a discussion within the BNP about the possible verdict in the case, the party's reaction to the judgment and how it will be run in case Khaleda lands behind bars.

BNP leaders said Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman would advise the tops leaders to run the party in absence of Khaleda.

According to top leaders, BNP standing committee members consult Tarique to run the party when Khaleda stays abroad. The same policy will be adopted if the party chief is handed a jail term.

According to the article 5(C) of the BNP's charter, the senior vice-chairman is the second-highest post in the party. In the absence of chairperson, the senior vice-chairman can call meetings of the standing committee and the executive committee and can also exercise the powers vested in the chairperson.

The charter also stipulates that none but the chairperson and the senior vice-chairman can call party meetings.

BNP Standing Committee Member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain said, “Our senior vice-chairman is in London. If required, the party's secretary general will run the party in consultation with Tarique Rahman. We hope we will not have to face such a situation.”