From BBC News:
Bangladesh’s ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been prevented from boarding a flight home from London after the Dhaka government barred her return.
The military-backed interim government has asked all international airlines not to carry her.
It says she will be arrested over the deaths of four protesters during a riot last October if she returns home.
Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to Bangladesh to clear her name and participate in elections.
Speaking on leaving Heathrow airport in London, Sheikh Hasina said the Bangladeshi authorities had sent a letter to British Airways, telling them not to carry her or they would not be allowed to land in Dhaka.
"I am ready to go to jail if necessary but I want to go back to my country," she said, adding that she would now consider her next moves.
Sheikh Hasina, who leads the opposition Awami League, left Bangladesh in late March, a few weeks after the interim government declared a state of emergency.
Update (4/22/2007 8:45 PM):
Item 1: A court in Bangladesh has issued an arrest warrant against Sheikh Hasina on the charge of murder, conveniently on the same day she attempted to fly back. They have branded her a "fugitive". This will allow the government to confiscate her property and assets in Bangladesh. If you are as confused as I am that the military government should brand her as a "fugitive" while at the same time barring her from returning to the country to face the charges, then you have now tasted a little bit of the doublspeak that military dictatorships are capable of.
British Labour Party MP Emily Thornberry accompanied Sheikh Hasina to Heathrow Airport earlier today when she was denied passage on British Airways. She negotiated unsuccessfully with British Airways at Heathrow. She has also said that she will raise the issue of Hasina’s banning with British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett and also in the British parliament.
Item 2: The High Court in Bangladesh has responded to a Habeas Corpus petition filed on behalf of Khaleda Zia protesting the military government’s action restricting her to her house without charge. The High Court has ordered the military government to explain in writing within five days why the court should not order the government to produce Khaleda Zia in court to prove that she is not under house arrest. This has thrown a wrench into the military’s plans to send Zia into exile – Zia remains in Bangladesh and plans to ship her to Saudi Arabia have at least for the moment been postponed. It appears that, while the lower courts appear to have already buckled, the High Court is challenging the military at least at some level. This could get real ugly real soon.
Mash, my quick thoughts on the minus-2 situation:
http://addafication.com/2007/04/22/exiled-ii/
Shamshir, thanks for the link. I advise others to go read his post – it is a worthy read. Although I don’t agree with the most important parts of the post, I think it is a thoughtful argument for exile.
And, Shamshir, I have posted an equally “disjointed” response to your post on your blog. :d
Mash, the American version of CNN doesn’t mention this, but the International version does. Gee, I wonder why? 😕
The growing scepticism about the Caretaker Governments role in the governance of Bangladesh stems from contradictory statements made by its advisors and the almost zero transparency that it funtions with. This promotes speculation and that fuels fear. People don’t like not to be in the know. The fact that two leaders (both elected to the highest office in Bangladesh) are unashamedly being thrown outside the country on the basis of mere allegations is being perceived as a flimsy effort to bring them to the book when infact the expectations that were promoted at the onset of this regime was expressly the opposite of what we have now. The perception on the streets of this latest attempt at cleaning up our closet are leading to speculations that of an imminent Martial Law declaration or at the least an effort by the “greatly responsible and scared shitless by popular leaders armed forces” to consolidate power. Nobody is saying there shouldn’t be reforms, what is being said is that more information needs to be out there. Mainul Hasan should concentrate on his job and remember that he doesn’t represent the people, atleast legally speaking. And the allegations against the ex premieres of our nation needs careful investigation and charges be bought against them if the investigation leads to indictable and damning evidence. If the system then fails to get them, then its their gain and the nations loss with which our nation must learn and decide for themselves that they do not want that sort of a democracy and be more responsible in voting and coming out to participate in the democratic process. A flawed democracy is much better than no democracy at all. The condition in which Bangladesh is today is a result of every one of us, therefore take responsibilty. Vote next time. Get involved. The blame culture has got to stop. Understand that power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is widely perceived that Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasine are not great leaders but they are leaders nonetheless. If their basics rights (and yes regardless of they have done in the past) are not respected and they can’t have their day in court, then in a nation like ours, who can? The Caretaker Government are doing and will continue to do good things for our nation. I trust Dr. Fakruddin Ahmed as an honest leader with sincere beliefs. But he isn’t elected. The ends cannot justify the means when it comes to governance. It sets dangerous precedants, that even murder (which we have had in 1975 and perceived as a necessity by some) is justified when it is percived that corruption has occurred. That to be cynical and hope of a better future only when there is change and to think that such hope is not available when there is no noticeable change is a very dangerous way to think. If not anything else these two leaders have lost all and gained (allegedly a lot) from their service to the Bangladesh. That must surely qualify them for a fair trial at the least. Today they are denied that. If the view is that chances of being able to prove allegations about corruption against them are slim and hence forcible exile is the only way to deal with them in the “in the interest of our nation”, then I will leave it to you to contemplate why that is not right and clearly not the only way? Self criticism and reflection time people. Support what the Caretaker Government are doing but don’t forget that no one is above the law even the Caretaker Government or the Army (not even SH and KZ). To not question the Caretaker Government’s work and not criticise (a government which is not even prima facie accountable) will lead inevitably to our repeating mistakes committed in governance since independance. Our problems are not the result of a handful of individuals in the larger context, our problems (as simple as this sounds) is us, we the people! Its cultural. Hoping we don’t mess up the future more than it already is. No good can come of misdeeds, no matter what the justification. An Army backed Caretaker Government is not the solution to all our problems. Just because we can’t seem to think of anything else doesn’t make this that magic wand which will take all our qualms with governance away over time. It will just be a neat magic trick, that demands our awe but lasts only for those few blissful minutes of its presentation.
As Mash mentioned in his Dr. Strangelove article,
I think this military government has another problem in trying any of these politicians. Since they have imposed a ban on fundamental rights, by definition, they are incapable of holding a fair trial. If a defendant is unable to exercise his/her right to defend him/herself, there is really no point in a trial. This internal flaw of a military regime, that it cannot steer a country to due process since it itself cannot allow for it, is ultimately its undoing.
This is what I mean by further corruption of the system. Far from being able to fight corruption, an unaccountable government itself corrupts the system further. So, if I were a corrupt politician, if I am not killed by the military, I can look forward to being resurrected as a man of the people real soon (gone of course will be any hope of justice that the people who were robbed deserve).