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New worries haunt Bangladesh

Haroon Habib

DHAKA: A few new worries have started haunting Bangladesh though the prospects of the January 22 general election have slightly brightened with the filing of nominations papers by all political alliances.

The rejection of Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad's nomination papers by the Election Commission is one such concern. He has been disqualified from contesting on the grounds of his conviction in a purchase scam.

Mr. Ershad's party was given 50 seats to contest in the Sheikh Hasina-led grand coalition after a protracted suspense as to which alliance would bring the country's former military dictator into its fold. When Mr. Ershad, who had 14 seats in the last Parliament, decided to join the Khaleda Zia-led alliance, he was quickly acquitted in cases. But when he finally joined the Hasina alliance, he was quickly handed over the conviction.

Violent protest

The rejection of his papers sparked a violent protest as Mr. Ershad alleged it was a "conspiracy" by the caretaker government at the behest of the BNP-Jamaat alliance. The Awami League alliance has threatened to boycott the elections if "vested quarters" do not refrain from "conspiracy" against Mr. Ershad.

The early deployment of the army for 20 days before and after the elections was also seen as another worry by political observers. The possible role of the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has already been criticised by the Awami alliance.

Another worry for the secular forces was the signing of a deal by the Awami League, the biggest secular party which also led the national liberation war against Pakistan, with an almost unknown fundamentalist group, Khelafat Majlish.

The League's MoU with the Islamist group stipulates that the alliance, if voted to power, would not get any law enacted which would be inconsistent with the dictates of the Koran.

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