The Bangladesh Journal - Bangladeshi Ex-PM Khaleda Zia still with disconnected phone line, restriction on visitors

The disconnected phone lines to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Dhaka Cantonment house were not restored till Thursday evening, her brother Sayeed Eskandar told reporters.

The interim government did not substantially relax restrictions on movement of Khaleda and on her visitors, party sources said.

On the other hand, restriction on those who want to visit Awami League president Sheikh Hasina at Sudha Sadan has apparently been somewhat relaxed on Thursday.

Although the security personnel on Wednesday prevented visitors, including top-ranking leaders of the AL, from entering Sudha Sadan, a handful of party leaders were allowed to visit Hasina on Thursday.

‘The government is yet to change its attitude [about the restriction imposed on Khaleda’s movement and her visitors],’ Sayeed Eskandar said. ‘The disconnected phone lines are yet to be restored.’

On Thursday security authorities allowed BNP joint secretary general Selima Rahman and a former party MP Sultana Ahmed to visit Khaleda, though they [authorities] allowed a few of her relatives to see her in last five days, a government source said.

‘It was a courtesy call. She [Khaleda] requested all to maintain restraint and pray for the country,’ Sultana Ahmed told New Age.

The High Court on Monday directed the government to restore the disconnected phone lines to Khaleda’s cantonment house in three workdays if there were no unpaid bills.

The court also asked the caretaker government to explain why it should not be directed to allow the former prime minister to move as a free citizen.

The order came after a long hearing on a writ petition that challenged the legality of the reported confinement of Khaleda and an alleged move to force her to leave the country.

A senior engineer of the Dhaka Cantonment exchange of the state-owned Telegraph and Telephone Board, however, told New AgeThursday evening, ‘We did not get any order from any authorities [to restore the phones].’

The Awami League general secretary, Abdul Jalil, told reporters after calling on Hasina on Thursday afternoon, ‘We came here today to see our leader and to verify whether any restriction was imposed on the visitors. We succeeded in meeting her.’

He said that the law enforcers, however, were checking the identity cards of unknown persons for reasons of security.

‘The chief adviser on Wednesday said that there was no restriction on Hasina’s movement and we hope that his statement reflects reality,’ he said, adding that the law enforcers should not impede AL leaders on the way to Sudha Sadan.

Jalil also said that it would be not logical to compare the security of Sheikh Hasina with that of the BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, as the latter is living in the cantonment, which is a restricted area.

‘The cantonment is a restricted area so the people can be stopped from entering, but it cannot be compared to Dhanmondi where the AL chief is residing,’ he said, adding that if the government wanted to compare Khaleda’s security with that of Hasina it should be done after making Khaleda reside outside the cantonment.

‘If the government wants to consider the security of both the leaders in same way it should make Khaleda stay at her Gulshan residence,’ said Jalil.

He also said that the AL is trying to persuade the interim government to ensure free entry of the AL leaders into Sudha Sudan.

AL presidium member Suragit Sengupta, central leaders Rahmat Ali, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Dipu Moni, Abdul Mannan, Sultan Mohammad Monsur and some other leaders visited Sudha Sadan and met Hasina on Thursday at different times of the day.

Another batch of visitors, comprising AL presidium member Abdur Razzak, Ataur Rahman Kaiser, Matia Choudhury, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, called on Hasina in the evening.

The law enforcers barred the editor of the Bangladesh Observer, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdury, when he was on his way to Sudha Sadan at first, but finally allowed him after about 15 minutes of argument.

The AL chief also visited her ailing aunt Asiya Begum, mother of AL presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, at Dhanmondi 8-A on Thursday night.