Khaleda faces a tough test

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA, MAY 23. The main challenger of the ruling Awami League in Bangladesh and former Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, is facing a tough test to her leadership even as the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, is set to hand over power to a neutral caretaker government in mid- July to hold the general election.

Begum Zia has apparently abandoned the politics of hartal, the condemned political weapon she used during the last three years to pull the Government down. The crucial ballot war is set some time in early October.

Only a few months ago the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) sounded confident that her 4- party combine would continue to remain a ``strong Islamic nationalist force'' and be able to sweep the election defeating the ``secular, pro-Indian'' Awami League. Her observation was more or less right since she could successfully command the support of the Islamic radicals including the ``pro-Pakistanis''.

But Begum Zia's alliance suffered a major blow from one of its key-sponsors, former president Gen. H.M. Ershad, who severed his Jatiya Party's relations with the Begum Zia-led alliance after coming out from jail last month. Gen. Ershad is trying to float a new alliance.

Gen. Ershad's ``betrayal'', as Begum Zia puts it, followed the much-talked about expulsions of two ``hardliner leaders'' - Mr. Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury (MP), and Mr. Anwar Zahid, press adviser to the Opposition leader, from the BNP. These two, known for their anti-Indian stand, commanded a sizable number of party ``hardliners'' and their dramatic exit from the party and alliance has caused concern for the BNP.

Another challenge Begum Zia faces is the persistent pressure of her alliance partners, the fundamentalist Jamaat-E- Islami and the Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), on selecting common candidates for the 300 parliamentary constituencies. Analysts believe that Begum Zia's chance of returning to power and the fate of her alliance virtually hinge on an amicable settlement.

In fact, Begum Zia has no option but to hang on to the Jamaat which is pressuring her to complete the seat sharing well ahead of the formal electioneering. The BNP policy-makers wanted to delay the tricky job as long as possible, but the Jamaaties have sensed this and are forcing for early completion.

Many Opposition strategists agreed that the sharing of seats among the alliance partners will not be an easy job. ``It's a tough task indeed. But we must do it because without this we cannot achieve electoral victory,'' said a senior BNP leader.

A few months ago, when the Begum Zia-led alliance was in its full form, the BNP supremo intended to concede 100 seats to the allies. But the scenario changed dramatically with the exit of Gen. Ershad from the alliance. Besides the Jamaat, the BNP has now only two smaller components which have no seats in Parliament nor can they bag one unless backed by the BNP.

According to party insiders, Begum Zia has now decided to give 50 to 70 seats to the Jamaat and the other two.

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