Khaleda Zia conviction: A convenient verdict for Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson, Khaleda Zia has been sentenced to imprisonment for a span of 5 years for misappropriating Zia Orphanage Trust funds. On February 8, 2018 Khaleda entered the old Central Jail in Dhaka.

The verdict passed against Zia in this politically significant case has led to uneasy murmurs not only in Dhaka but in national capitals elsewhere, as the verdict effectively means Zia won't be able to run in Bangladesh’s general election due in December, 2018. Not just Zia, her elder son and heir apparent Tarique Rahman and four others were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. As the country's constitution demands, the verdict prevents the 72-year old Zia from participating in the general elections, for any individual charged or pressed with imprisonment for more than two years is barred from running in elections.

Zia's lawyer, Khandakar Mahbub Hossain said the verdict fails to reflect the truth, and they will approach a higher court for review. BNP's senior leaders are also hopeful that Zia will receive bail soon.

The verdict, obviously, greatly benefits the ruling Bangaldesh Awami League government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. No doubt during BNP's rule in Bangladesh, incidents of corruption besides the Zia Orphanage Trust case have come to light. However, the BAL Government is also following the same route of corruption. Evidence suggests the present day government has exceeded the corruption by its predecessor. Yet we see no positive judgment being exercised by the judiciary in relation to the corruption of the incumbent government.

Bangladeshi people are faced with corruption on a regular basis. So the obvious question is why is the BAL Government concerned only about the Zia Orphanage Trust case? The answer is only too obvious.

Politically-aware citizens of Bangladesh are coming to realise that this judgment against Khaleda Zia is nothing but an attempt to sideline the BNP and eliminate any challenge in the elections. Because there was a high possibility of BNP coming back to power and forming the Cabinet all over again, of which the BAL Government was well aware.

BNP had boycotted the last general election held in 2014, demanding that the election be held under a caretaker government. But at that time, such a proposition was refused. Hence BNP made the historic mistake of not participating in the last election. BAL won the elections without any opposition or competition. The BNP realised its mistake too late, and thus was gearing up to fight the next elections come December, 2018.

No doubt the verdict against Zia has come as a big blow to the BNP in election year. It’s perhaps the start of the Bangladesh government’s election campaign, rather than a step forward in the fight against corruption.