Awami League happy to see Khaleda in jail till elections

Leaders of the Awami League say they believe the release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail will cause harm to the ruling party. None from the Awami League are openly speaking about the former prime minister’s incarceration. They are publicly saying that it depends on the court whether Khaleda will stay in jail or be freed. However, about a dozen leaders from the party, who declined to be identified, have said that the Awami League does not want Khaleda to walk out of jail before the election. The ruling party is looking for ways to keep her in jail at least until the election. Senior party leaders say they believe the BNP chief’s release from jail before the election will be a big loss for the Awami League. Hence, all tactics will be applied to stop her release but the party leaders have decided to refrain from doing anything that may appear ‘unsightly’. Awami League Presidium Member Abdur Razzak said they had forgotten about Khaleda just as the people did. “We are not thinking about her,” he added. Khalid Mahmud, the party’s organizing secretary, said the people were living in peace since Khaleda was in jail. “There are no arson attacks and the killing of people with Molotov cocktails has stopped. There are fears that these things could resume once Khaleda gets out,” he claimed.

What the Awami League is thinking

According to information gathered from several Awami League policymakers, the party and the government are trying to keep Khaleda behind bars for as many days as possible. An influential presidium member said that they must reap benefits of Khaleda’s conviction and incarceration. And good results will come only if the BNP chief is kept in jail until the next national election scheduled for later this year. And the Awami League will continue to make that happen, the member said. Another presidium member said: “Khaleda Zia’s release at this time will be a bad thing for the government. The BNP will try to free her and the Awami League will try to prevent that. This is what the parties will do until the polls.” According to another ruling party policymaker, the Awami League would get ready for the polls as the BNP would be busy finding ways to free its chief. “This is a big opportunity for the Awami League to prepare for the election without any obstacles,” the leader added.This article was first published on banglatribune.com