Political Confrontation in Bangladesh Escalating

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 29, 2001

Political Confrontation in Bangladesh Escalating

The political confrontation in Bangladesh is escalating as the ruling party decided to scrap a controversial act that provided special security to former prime minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana.

The Awami League has announced a program including an eight-hour shutdown on Sunday in the capital to protest the ruling party's move to repeal the Father of the Nation's Family Member's Security Act, 2001.

On June 20 this year, the last parliament enacted the law giving special security by the Special Security Force (SSF) and accommodation for two surviving daughters of the late president Sheikh Mujib Rahman on the plea that their lives are under threat by the condemned killers of their father.

According to the daily New Nation, the law had provided for life-long security by SSF to the two sisters. Sheikh Hasina was allocated prime minister's official residence, while Sheikh Rehanawas given an abandoned house in the capital at a token price of 1001 taka (about 18 U.S. dollars). Official price of the house wasover ten million taka (about 180,000 dollars).

Sheikh Hasina was also entitled to six-member staff, free medical treatment in the country and abroad, a fleet of cars and telephone, etc. She would have been given also SSF military protection when abroad. Initial cost of setting up of SSF for the two sisters was over 290 million taka (5 million dollars) and an amount of 50 million taka (900,000 dollars) was allocated in current year's budget for the maintenance of the staff and other ancillary expenses.

A bill seeking repeal the act approved by the cabinet Tuesday was placed before the parliament on Tuesday and the bill is likelyto be passed on Sunday.

Placing the bill in the house, Law Minister Moudud Ahmed described the law as unconstitutional, saying that citizens are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of law as per constitution.

Expressing deep concern, Awami League leaders referred to the assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was killed just after the then Indian prime minister VP Singh had withdrawn the special "Black Cat Force" assigned to look after hissecurity.

Former commerce minister of Hasina's cabinet Abdul Jalil warnedthat "Prime Minister Khaleda Zia would have to bear the consequence if there were any problems in relation to Hasina's security in future."