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Not a sign of weakness

Husain Imam
***The caretaker government must have by this time realised that with the release of Sheik Hasina the political landscape of the country has dramatically changed for the better. Her party has decided to join the dialogue and participate in the local body election of nine pourashavas and four city corporations, scheduled to be held on August 4. BNP will in all probability follow suit.***
BY releasing Sheikh Hasina on ‘medical parole" and allowing her to go abroad for treatment, the government has done what is expected under the circumstances. Her release was based, as has been explained by the government, primarily on two considerations. One was humanitarian and the other was national interest.
She was a victim of the infamous grenade attack of August 21, 2004. that was aimed at killing her and her party workers when she was addressing a public meeting. The incident saw 26 of her party leaders and workers killed and several hundred injured. She narrowly escaped death, but her ears were seriously injured.
Whether anybody likes it or not, the fact is Sheikh Hasina is not only the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation, but also, as president of Awami League, the undisputed leader of the oldest and largest political party of the country. By all accounts she is not only, at the moment, the most popular leader of the country, but also considered by many as the only leader who can steer the country out of the impasse.
The people at large wanted her release, albeit within a legal framework. on three considerations — to
allow her to go to US for treatment of her car, to pave the way for a successful dialogue and a free, fair and credible election, and because they think that the charges brought against her were not based on solid grounds. In any event, the charges were not enough to keep her behind bars. She should get bail and face trial in the normal court of law.
The government has, to its credit, listened to public demand and released her temporarily. It is also considering similar release of Begum Khaleda Zia for the sake of a meaningful election and smooth transfer of power to a truly elected democratic government. Begum Zia does not want to go abroad for treatment. She is not that ill If the government still wants to send her abroad, it will be a mistake. It will give a wrong signal.
It is good to see that the caretaker government has at last been able to feel the pulse of the people and decided to take the political parties in confidence. That is why it has already released Sheikh Hasina on parole, sat with her to discuss issues of utmost national interest and is contemplating release of Begum Zia on similar considerations.
We are, however, concerned at ‘ the way Begum Zia is trying to negotiate her release. We hope that whatever the government decides to do it does keeping in mind the reality of the situation, without conceding to any demand that may jeopardise its image or go against national interest.
The caretaker government must have by this time realised that with the release of Sheik Hasina the political landscape of the country has dramatically changed for the better. Her party has decided to join the dialogue and participate in the local body election of nine pourashavas and four city corporations, scheduled to be held on August 4. BNP will in all probability followsuit.
The decision of Awami league to join the dialogue and the scheduled local body election has cleared, to a great extent, the air of uncertainty that was looming large across the political horizon centering national election.
More importantly, it has, at least for the time being, helped in avoiding a head-on collision between tire government and the major political parties on the issue of local body elections.
It must be borne in mind that Awami League was against holding local body elections before national election mainly on the following considerations:
Firstly, holding of local body elections was beyond the constitu-
tional mandate of the caretaker government.
Secondly, their experience of the two military governments in the past have for obvious reasons has created confusion about the intention of the present government to hold local body elections when their main responsibility was to hold the national election.
Thirdly, they did not want to see any issue raised that may hinder the progress towards holding the national election on time.
Still, if we go by their press briefings, they had to decide, rightly or wrongly, in favour of joining the local body election of August 4 mainly on the consideration that they were not prepared to be at loggerheads with the government at this moment, or give the government any chance to delay or postpone the national election cither.
They are, however, still, and rightly so, opposed to holding of upazilla elections and continuance of emergency rule. It would be unwise on the part of the government to consider the latest shift of position of Awami League as a sign of weakness. Capt Husain Imam is a freelance contributor to The Daily Star.