Ministers in division over Khaleda Zia resuming politics

As the general election is approaching, the key leaders and ministers of the ruling Awami League are making contradictory remarks about BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia engaging in politics again.

The law and agriculture ministers say Khaleda can do so, but the information, and road transport and bridges ministers claim vise versa.  

Debates emerged after Law Minister Anisul Huq on February 19 said there was no bar against Khaleda engaging in politics, but she cannot run in elections.

On Thursday, he said even though there is no bar against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia engaging in politics, people think that she practically cannot do so as she is sick.

She cannot take part in the election as she is convicted, he said, adding that there is no condition disallowing her to be involved in politics.

A day earlier, Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said that there is no bar for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, whose conviction was suspended by executive order, to do politics.

He said, “Why can she (Khaleda Zia) not do politics? She can do politics even from jail, she will give instructions to the party. However, the Election Commission will decide whether you can vote or not. What is in the law will be. She should come to the election accordingly.

“She (Khaleda Zia) can do politics. It is a democratic country, she is a political leader of a party, two-time prime minister she is. Why she cannot do politics! A politician is a politician,” he added.

Contradicting the law and agriculture ministers, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia cannot engage in politics as per the condition of her release from jail.

"On conditions, she

"Anyone convicted for more than two years cannot take part in elections as per the law of Bangladesh. Khaleda Zia has been sentenced for much more than two years. So, there is no question of her participating in elections," he said replying to a query.

Replying to another query, Hasan said, "It is true that the condition does not expressly forbid her from engaging in politics but it mentions that she will have treatment staying at home and will not take part any other activities."

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday said there is no scope for BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to do politics as she has been convicted in graft cases.

"Why has Khaleda Zia's jail sentence been suspended? She is sick. If she was not ill, she would have been in jail. A convict has no scope to do politics," he said while replying to journalists during a joint meeting of AL at its Bangabandhu Avenue central office in Dhaka.

Quader said Khaleda Zia didn't get release from his jail sentence. But her jail sentence has been suspended several times on humanitarian grounds, he said, adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina showed the generosity.

He said BNP also knew it very well that there is no scope for Khaleda Zia to do politics and that is why they made the party's senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman as its acting chairman.

As Khaleda Zia is not valid to do politics, she has been dropped, he said.