DHAKA: Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed on Sunday named himself head of a non-party caretaker government to conduct the next general election amid widespread criticism of holding a political brief for the outgoing Government led by Begum Khaleda Zia.

The dramatic development, described as "most unfortunate" by most of the political parties, may trigger fresh political turmoil, political observers, said.

The President's highly controversial oath taking on Sunday night as head of the caretaker Government in addition to his position of titular President under parliamentary democracy may plunge the country into further chaos, they observed.

After the refusal of Justice K.M. Hasan, former Chief Justice on Saturday, Dr. Ahmed himself proposed to become the head of the caretaker Government in an abrupt manner, while the Awami League-led 14-party Opposition combine rejected the proposal outright.

The Opposition and the country's leading constitutional experts argued that the President, who is reportedly a strong sympathiser of the ruling BNP, should go by the Constitution and must not appoint himself as chief of the caretaker Government when the Constitution has clearly specified various options.

But ignoring the suggestions, the President held a series of parleys with leaders of only four leading parliamentary parties on Sunday and decided to go ahead with his plan which was readily welcomed by Begum Zia's BNP and the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami. The plan was earlier indicated by Begum Zia herself on Sunday at a public meeting — that the BNP will accept what the President will now decide, and suggested that the others obey it.

Article 58C (6) of the Bangladesh Constitution prescribes that the President shall assume the functions of the "Chief Advisor" of the non-party caretaker Government in addition to his own functions, if all the five other options for appointing the "Chief Advisor" are exhausted. But the President went ahead unilaterally even disregarding Justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury, another former Chief Justice, who has expressed his willingness to head the interim government, because the BNP and the Jamaat objected to his appointment.

Stunned by the abrupt presidential action, the opposition combine which had requested the President to use his good offices to defuse the violent political scenario honouring the secret constitution, has renewed its vow to continue the siege of Dhaka and the national blockade.As clashes continued for the second consecutive day in parts of Bangladesh, the death toll during last two days of political violence across the country rose to 20.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail