Perhaps in a misguided effort to protect and project her electoral pull, Begum Khaleda Zia, just today, railed against the war crimes trial that will put to docket those alleged to have been responsible for the shuddering crimes of murder and arson against Bengalis, against humanity, in 1971.
She claimed that the current government is using the war crimes trial as a pretext to ferret out and jail members of the disloyal opposition. The then government of Bangladesh led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had given amnesty to those thought to have been war criminals. Begum Zia then charged that over time Sheikh Mujib and his daughter, the incumbent Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina rehabilitated groups of those treasonous war criminals and had colluded with them, presumably in and for acts of ill-repute.
Further, she claimed her late husband, President Ziaur Rahman had tried to establish the definite record of the Liberation War. Others, have despoiled that record in the interceding years.
Her wildest comment yet? The Daily Star reports that she charged the post-independence Awami League government of colluding to kill freedom fighters:
“At least 30 thousand freedom fighters had been killed”, she claimed without further elaborating the rigid assertion.
Begum Zia stands on fairly solid ground to comment against the set about war crimes trials. After all, teh evidence on which these indivdiuals will be tried is nearly 40 years old. Rumors and misdirection have played a part to shift moral responsibility from one individual to another. Indeed, Sheikh Mujib did declare amnesty and as a result, certainly many war criminals escaped victor’s and its cousin, procedural justice with their lives and possessions.
However, to rail so against a procedural move that seems to have huge electoral support throughout the country raises stirring questions about Begum Zia’s electoral strategy. Does she insist on taking independent, swing voters with her to majority status in Parliament with a message of renewed investment in Bangladesh’s domestic resources? Alternatively, does she want to herald herself as the leader of all those disaffected Bengali’s who seek a different and altogether maligned route to politics and asset management. So far, the AL’s political and development strategy seems rather successful. Thus, perhaps Begum Zia seeks to terrorize into joining her narrow umbrella all those who are upset at the new order .
It would be a turn toward skepticism and our worst angels if Begum Zia’s desultory and dejected message won the day at the ballot box some years out.