Awami League Presidium Member Obaidul Quader has alleged that several civil society members played direct roles in the conspiracy – better known as “Minus Two Formula” – to banish party chief Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from politics during the 2007-08 army-backed caretaker regime.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, claimed that former prime minister Khaleda’s greed and practice of politics of destruction had inspired civil society members and several political beneficiaries to conspire which led to the 1/11 changeover.
He was speaking at a meeting of Bangladesh Chhatra League at its Bangabandhu Avenue central office in Dhaka yesterday. The programme was a preparation meeting ahead of the Awami League’s March 7 rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan.
March 7 marks the anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic speech in which he called on fellow Bangalis to take up arms for Bangladesh’s liberation.
Quader said: “During the army-backed caretaker government in 2007-08, conspirators tried their best to exile Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chief Khaleda Zia from politics. Editors of two newspapers were also involved. They published false corruption news against Sheikh Hasina.”
January 11, 2007 saw the beginning of a two-year state of emergency. Both Hasina and Khaleda were imprisoned on corruption charges. After the Awami League-led alliance rode to power through the 2008 national polls, it scrapped the caretaker provision.
During the state of emergency, The Daily Star ran unsubstantiated corruption stories against Hasina, its Editor Mahfuz Anam recently admitted on TV. He has since been accused in dozens of libel suits.
Quader said that the 1/11 conspirators were still active and were trying to take advantage of the violence and destructive politics of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. “But their dream will not be fulfilled because the Awami League learned its lessons from 2007-08. We are more alert and united,” he added.