A bipartisan consensus seems to have emerged over the need for an investigation of the activities of the military-controlled caretaker government that ruled the country unconstitutionally between January 11, 2007 and December 31 2008.

Quite a significant number of politicians belonging to both the government and opposition camps are unanimous in their opinion that the official and unofficial leaders of the military-controlled regime, particularly the top trio – army chief Moeen U Ahmed, chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and president Iajuddin Ahmed – who ruled the country at their whims, need to be brought to justice to stop recurrence of such usurpation of power in future.

Some senior leaders of the ruling Awami League, opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtanrik Dal, Communist Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal came up with identical views over the issue in separate interviews with New Age on Sunday.

Notably, after taking over power on January 11, 2007 in the midst of a fierce power struggle between BNP and Awami League, the military-driven government of Fakhruddin Ahmed promulgated a ‘state of emergency’ and threw into prisons hundreds of politicians and businessmen in the name of cleaning up politics and economy. Besides, the government made all-out efforts, unsuccessfully though, to re-design the country’s political landscape in collaboration with a section of western diplomats and their local cronies. On top of that all, the military-driven regime kept the fundamental rights of the citizens suspended for two years in the name of a ‘state of emergency’.

The acting general secretary of the ruling Awami League and local government, rural development and cooperatives minister, Syed Ashraful Islam, however, told reporters on Tuesday that the ‘government has not yet taken any decision as regards trial of [former army chief, retired] general Moeen U Ahmed’.

Talking to New Age, politicians viewed that the key persons of the caretaker government and its military backers – particularly the top trio – should be brought to book to ensure that no military or quasi-military forces could intervene in the political process in the future.

Textile and jute minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui said, ‘An investigation should be conducted into the activities of the military-controlled interim government during its two years in office.’

The minister, also a veteran leader of the Awami League, demanded trial of Iajuddin Ahmed, Fakhruddin Ahmed and Moeen U Ahmed. ‘Iajuddin should be put on trial first as Moeen and Fakhruddin had engaged in unconstitutional activities during Iajuddin’s presidency,’ he said.

Replying to a query, the minister said, ‘As a part of the government, I cannot file a case against them before the government takes any decision in this regard’. But he believes that ‘the government should take a decision to investigate the two-year rule of the interim government which had resorted to unconstitutional activities.’

The general secretary of Awami League, Abdul Jalil, who was detained and reportedly harassed by the caretaker regime, said: ‘An investigation should be launched into the activities of the caretaker government, and those who had been involved in anti-constitutional activities during the regime should be tried lawfully.’ Jalil further said that ‘the investigation and trial is needed to stop recurrence of such unconstitutional governance in the future’.

Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim echoed Jalil. ‘All of those who conducted illegal activities in violation of the constitution of the state should be tried to prevent their repetition,’ said Selim.

Answering a question, the AL leader said that the victims of the caretaker government should go to court against those who had harassed political leaders with ill motives. Selim, who was imprisoned by the caretaker government on corruption charges, however, is yet to decide whether he would file a case.

Another AL presidium member, Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, sounded more specific. ‘The caretaker government in question violated the constitution by way of indulging in activities beyond the routine work of the state, and therefore those involved in such illegal activities should be punished’.

Alamgir, who was imprisoned by the caretaker regime, said ‘I will file a case against the caretakers soon’. He said the government should decide what punishment should be meted out to them for such unconstitutional activities. Lawmakers of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party demanded trial of the former army chief, retired general Moeen U Ahmed, on charges of sedition and violation of the constitution, the Army Act, service rules and for vitiating the discipline of the armed forces.

‘Bring Moeen U Ahmed under the purview of the law immediately,’ said the opposition chief whip, Zainul Abdin Farroque, in a written statement at a press conference held at the media centre of the parliament complex on June 16.

BNP leader Moudud Ahmed on June 17 demanded trial of the members of the ‘unlawful’ caretaker government of Fakhruddin Ahmed. Moudud also demanded ‘trial of six retired and serving army personnel, including the just-retired general Moeen U Ahmed, for their move to depoliticise the country, make it dysfunctional and destroy the economy’. He also called upon the government to constitute an all-party probe committee for the purpose.

Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, also demanded an investigation into the illegal activities of the military-driven caretaker government of Fakruddin Ahmed and trial of those who had ruled the country beyond their constitutional limits. ‘I will continue to press for this, because if they are not tried, such unconstitutional takeover will recur,’ Menon told New Age on Sunday.

Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) acting chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud told New Age that the caretakers, if they were involved in illegal activities during its regime, should be taken to court as every extra-constitutional action should be brought under the scrutiny of law. ‘Then the court will decide whether the caretakers were right or wrong,’ he said.

Hasanul Huq Inu, president of the Jatiya Samajtanrik Dal, said, ‘We have already recognised the caretaker government [of Fakhruddin Ahmed]. But steps can be taken against those in the caretaker government, who might be found guilty of wrongdoings.’

Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim also called for trial of ‘those behind the unconstitutional takeover of power and illegal activities of the unconstitutional regime’ of Fakhruddin Ahmed. He, however, wants trial of all of those who violated constitution since 1975.

Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) convener Khalequzzaman, also demanded that ‘those who were involved in the usurpation of power on January 11, 2007, and ruled the country unconstitutionally for two years should be brought to book ’. 'In a democratic dispensation, all governments, civilian or otherwise, have to remain accountable to the people’.

-New Age