Loosing all moral ground-Khaleda Zia must vacate the cant house
The law of the land is equally applicable for all citizen of the country. Yes, the government could award property or financial aid to anyone for specific reason but that has to go through due process of law. There are no second thoughts in anyone's mind that slain President Bir Uttom Gen. Ziaur Rahman's Widow Khaleda Zia deserves a residence as a devastated destitute family with two young juvenile Tareq Rahman and Arafat Rahman Coco. It was a compulsion to the nation to do arrange a house and provide financial help to Gen. Zia's bereaved family.
However, there is not a single shred of evidence that Khaleda Zia or BNP can produce which points to Bangladesh government ever allocated Shaheed Moinul Shorok residence to Khaleda Zia widow of then slain President Gen. Ziaur Rahman within legal framework of the country.
I personally have seen Bangladesh government cabinet meeting minutes, which is now available to all journalists in Bangladesh . Three cabinet meeting took place in a span of 12 June 1981 to June 15 1982. From these meetings the then Bangladesh government decided to give A house to destitute widow of slain President Gen. Ziaur Rahman.
Nevertheless, BNP is making an outcry on government move on illegal allotment cancelation of Khaleda Zia's Shaheed Moinul Shorok residence and honoring the legal allotment of a modern resident in the most posh residential area Gulshan.
To understanding the entire matter from the aspect of legal framework, we must rise ourselves above our personal sensation and refuge to rule of law. Let us analyze I what premises she got this hose in Dhaka Cantonment and whether she got it under the law of the land or not.
Just to clarify my position it need to be mentioned that I myself is an Awami League activist, therefore naturally it may presume that I might have biasness toward the government decision of cancelation of Khaleda Zia's second residence. I fervently ask the readers NOT TO GO through my rhetoric if any rather to follow the legal evidence and arguments I am putting on.
The premises on which Khaleda Zia widow of slain President Gen. Ziaur Rahman was awarded A residence in Dhaka
According to wikipidia.org, the then President Gen. Ziaur Rahman went on tour to Chittagong on May 29, 1981 to help resolve an intra-party political dispute in the regional BNP. Zia and his entourage stayed overnight at the Chittagong Circuit House, a rest house. In the early hours of the morning of May 30, a group of army officers along with six bodyguards and two aides assassinated him. Click on here for the link [16]
After the sad demise of President Gen. Ziaur Rahman, the then Vice President Justice Abdus Sattar who assumed power following constitutional provision become President of Bangladesh. In an expected course of direction, Government under Justice Abdus Sattar as President decided to come forward to help the destitute family of Khaleda Zia widow of slain President Gen. Ziaur Rahman. To formulate the type of help government can offer, three cabinet meeting took place.
These meeting took place on following date:
First cabinet meeting on the issue took place on June 12 1981 Second cabinet meeting on the issue took place on 19 March 1982 Third cabinet meeting on the issue took place on 15 June 1982
On June 12 1981, the then acting President and defense minister Morhum Justice Abdus Sattar (BNP Government) presided over the first meeting. Meeting minutes describes, government proposed to allocate Gen. Zia's residence for Khaleda Zia.
On 19 March 1982, second cabinet meeting on the issue took place after government learned that Khaleda Zia wished this resident to be converted into a remembrance museum on slain President Gen. Ziaur Rahman.
Upon rejection to the government proposal by Khaleda Zia, second cabinet meeting was called after first meeting's proposal was canceled. Cabinet meeting decided to find a suitable house for her and her family. After cabinet discussion, government decided to award a house at Gulshan consisting 16 Katha land but the house was not handed over as BNP government (Justice Abdus Sattar) was knocked down after a bloodless coup carried out by then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Hossain Mohammad Ershad.
On 15 June 1982 during Gen. Ershad regime, third and final cabinet meeting discussed on the house issue as government stumbled upon some legal challenge by one M.A. Aziz who claimed the awarded house to Khaleda Zia as his property.
To avert the situation government finalized another house for Khaleda Zia in the same neighborhood of Gulshan on June 15 1982 meeting. This time allocated house to Khaleda Zia was more modern, larger as well as consisted of One Bigha 10 Katha 11 Chotak comparing to last reward house of 16 Katha.
According to June 15 1982, cabinet decision government finalized the title document and handed the house to Khaleda Zia widow of slain President Gen. Ziaur Rahman on either 17 or 18 of July of 2008.
Yes, during this period of search for a suitable house, Cantonment Board allowed her to remain in the Shaheed Moinul Hossain Shorok residence hoping she will vacate the house after such house is found, but unfortunately, that did not happened. After the search was completed and a ultra modern house in Gulshan consisting One Bigha 10 Katha 11 Chotak was handed with all legal deeds, Khaleda Zia declined to vacate the Shaheed Moinul Shorok house which consist NINE BIGHA GOVERNMENT LAND .
Gen. Hossain Mohammad Ershad tolerated this illegal decline wishing to shun her and BNP waging any problem for his military government. There is no legal paper of ownership of Shaheed Moinul Shorok residence, but tolerance of Gen. Ershad regime where Khaleda Zia found legality. Until today, she and her party BNP trying to get illegal refuge on that tolerance of Gen. Ershad.
Yesterday April 8, 2009 appearing in a RTV talk show ROAD TO DEMOCRACY, BNP-led opposition chief whip Zainal Abedin Faruk said something beyond belief. His uttered irresponsible words can be taken as yardstick to measure where BNP moral and ethics stands today.
Opposition chief whip Zainal Abedin Faruk said, Khaleda Zia is residing in this house since 1981, therefore his ownership to this house becomes legal. He said if anyone holds possession of anything for more then ten years then under he law it becomes his or her property.
How unfortunate we are, the opposition chief whip Zainal Abedin Faruk is speaking in landgrave language. No one expected from opposition Chief Whip a senior leader of the house talking trash. I am wondering if the Opposition Leader of the House also shares the similar wisdom
No government can cancel house awarded to her if she has legal paper work on the house, therefore she can ask shelter of the Supreme Court on this matter if government is doing any unlawful act.
Knowing the legal fallout against her illegal occupation, knowing she does not hold any legal paper as unauthorized occupant of this house she and her party BNP is shun from using legal means and waging the path of movement to compel the government to bog down on her illegal pressure.
It is irony for our nation, a two time Prime Minister, a two term Opposition Leader does not have minimum ethics on how much she should ask from a poor country of her own. When a huge number of citizens have no place to call home, she enjoys two mansion none of which is bought with her family money but the property of citizens of Bangladesh .
After the demise of apparent honest man Gen. Ziaur Rahman, the nation witnessed government run BTV continues put on show about the ordinary lifestyle Gen. Zia used to live in who had nothing but a broken metal trunk and few broken down clothing.
Regretfully today, we know, the then destitute widow of Gen. Ziaur Rahman is so filthy rich that Khaleda Zia a two term Prime Minister of Bangladesh paid Tk 33 lakh to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) under an amnesty offered to tax dodgers to get their undisclosed money legalized. Her Son Arafat Rahman Koko been sued for earning millions of dollar using extreme corruption and illegal means. Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of slain President Ziaur Rahman not only been sued in Bangladesh but also by foreign government of Singapore and United States of on bribery and money laundering charge. The US Department of Justice has moved to confiscate nearly $3 million from bank accounts in Singapore , which are allegedly linked to a bribery scandal in Bangladesh , involving Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and slain President Gen. Ziaur Rahman. One needs nothing to talk about late President Gen. Ziaur Rahmans eldest son Tareq Rahman who is popularly known as Mr. Ten Percent. One who admired, one who gave their all-out respect for the late President Gen. Zia today legitimately questions, how much is too much. How much Zia family expect from the poor nation to carry for this family. She was allocated with one house in Gulshan expecting she will vacate the other house in cantonment, she and her two sons got Tk 10 lakh, Tk 1,500 a month in endowment to facilitate studies of her sons until 1986, and one vehicle with fuel and a driver What more she and her family expecting one of the poorest nation on earth!! Today, Khaleda Zia and her BNP claim the government move of cancelation of illegal allotment is politically motivated. BNP knowingly does not want to understand publicly that their hilarious claim does not hold any water of truth for thirsty people of Bangladesh . Yes, it would be undoubtedly politically motivated if AL government canceled allotment of Gulshan residence of Khaleda Zia, allotment of which followed all due process of government rules and regulation. I want to call for readers attention to Khaleda Zia led past four party alliance government's vindictive politically motivated illegal move against Sheikh Rehana daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. Today some of her party (BNP) to brass bringing the question of ethics when they find there is no legal ground to claim. Nevertheless, the ethics they are talking about today was nowhere to be found on October 29 of 2001 after BNP assumed state power. On October 29 of 2001 right after Khaleda came to power canceled a land (not with a mansion like hers) allotment which was given by previous government with full approval of cabinet meeting to Sheikh Rehana one of only two surviving family member of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. Unfortunately, the vindictive mind of Khaleda Zia and her family could not even tolerate this simple state recognition to the Father of the Nation family member and canceled the allotment. If BNP today raises question of ethical stand, then a very legitimate question will be, its not just Khaleda Zia but whether her slain husband President Gen. Ziaur Rahman occupying the house was legal or not. The 2.72-acre mansion(Apx NINE BIGHA) was originally the official home of the army chief, a position held by then Lt Gen Ziaur Rahman who then converted himself into a civilian head of state through martial law proclamations and controversial votes did not vacate this house. Is it not illegal and ethical emptiness on part of late president Gen. Ziaur Rahman to hold military property being a civil governments President. It is high time for Khaleda Zia and her family to vacate her illegal residence and move to her legal huge mansion of 1.5 Bigha land in Gulshan. BNP it self lost all its moral ground to claim the situation as moral poverty of AL government. Probably this is where you find the truth of popular fraise – If you spit up, it is going to fall on you. Sincerely Shamim Chowdhury Maryland, USA ====================================================== |
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