AL to stigmatise Zia family if BNP doesn’t take to the streets

.
.

The ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) is tossing up two plans to face the political situation to be evolved with the pronouncement of verdict of Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman.

The makeshift court has fixed 8 February for declaring the verdict and it’s widely believed in the country’s political arena that main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda might be convicted to keep her away from the next general elections to be held in the yearend.

AL insiders said if Khaleda and Tarique are convicted in the case and its arch rival BNP takes to the streets to register its protests against the conviction in a violent manner, ruling AL would exploit government agencies to contain the street agitation. 

And if the BNP remains silent and didn’t take violent path to protest the conviction, the AL would launch a campaign across the country to stigmatise Zia family as 'corrupt'.

The ruling party leaders also said that the AL has already made preparations to execute the two plans. Keeping Khaleda's verdict date in mind, the ruling party has launched organisational visits across the country.

A total of 15 teams encompassing central leaders have been formed. Of them, four teams visited Manikganj, Bogra, Narail, and Feni districts on Friday. There will be three district visits today, Saturday, too.

Prime minister and AL president Sheikh Hasina will start electioneering in divisional headquarters from Sylhet from 30 January.

The main objectives of these political programmes are to carry out a campaign to brand Zia family as corrupt one, highlight development programmes of the government ahead of the next general elections.

Verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, filed against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others, will be pronounced on 8 February.

ACC lawyers sought the highest sentence for the six accused including Khaleda, while Khaleda’s lawyer termed the case a 'substance-less' one.

BNP has long been claiming that the case is a politically motivated one to keep the former premier out of the election.

AL leaders said they think both Khaleda and Tarique will be convicted in the case.

With no possibility of Tarique returning back home in this context, the ruling party is planning to make use of the momentum at its best by weakening and unsettling main opposition BNP.

Several AL policymakers, assigned to finalise AL strategy for next general elections, said the ruling party would try to split BNP if the opposition party tries to launch a movement after Khaleda's conviction.

The government may also conduct wholesale arrest drives to suppress the opposition before and after the arrest of Khaleda, they added.

Asked about this, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan told Protthom Alo, ''If anybody tries to create anarchy centring on the verdict, stern actions will be taken.''

While talking to Prothom Alo, AL presidium member Faruk Khan claimed that Zia family is corrupt and it was proved earlier.

He said If Khaleda and Tarique are convicted, it would once again prove that the Zia family is corrupt.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Imam Hossain.