Hasina’s son arrives from US, Zia’s sons face arrest
By IANSMonday, March 1, 2010
DHAKA - Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who formally joined the ruling Awami League (AL) four days ago, Monday arrived home from the US with his American wife.
Joy, who stays in the US, had his education up to graduation in India during the years the family lived in exile in India after his maternal grandfather and president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of the family members were slain in a coup in August 1975.
Each time he visits Dhaka, Joy has in the recent years been making political statements supportive of his mother and the Awami League.
Joy and his American wife Christine landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 7.30 a.m., bdnews24.com newspaper website reported.
His return from the US took place on the day Dhaka courts issued arrest warrants in separate graft cases against the two sons of opposition leader Khaleda Zia - Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Coco, who too stay abroad.
Tarique was also recently appointed senior vice-president of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Khleda Zia.
Although not a lawmaker or holding a position in the government, Tarique, who faces several graft charges and was imprisoned during 2007-08, is widely perceived as having wielded considerable power when his mother was the prime minister (2001-06).
The advent of the sons of the two women leaders, who are arch political rivals, has become a subject of political discourse.
Opposing the lateral entry into politics of the two sons, New Age newspaper said in an editorial Monday: “There is no reason to believe that Joy will not be elevated to the top-level leadership in the Awami League in the shortest possible time as Tarique was in the BNP.”
“Their entry into politics is by design, a manifestation of the wishes of the two top leaders to perpetuate dynastic control over the two major political parties in the country and by extension the national politics itself,” the newspaper said.
“It also betrays the inherent weakness of the existing political establishments. Dynastic politics and democracy are mutually exclusive.”
“Joys entry into politics would in the end create a barrier to democratisation of the Awami League, just as Tariques did in case of the BNP. In the end, the political process stands to be the greatest loser,” New Age said.
That said, now that Joy has entered politics, the AL leadership would do well to help Joy develop democratic orientation, which could at least translate into some benefit for the people at large.”
