Bangladesh Opposition Demands Release of Leader Before Election

 

The largest opposition¹ party in Bangladesh is holding huge protests to demand the release of their jailed leader, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says the country cannot hold free and fair elections without Zia’s freedom. Voting is expected to take place in December.

A court sentenced the 73-year-old politician to prison in February. It had earlier found her guilty of misusing² foreign money meant for an aid organization.

Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar is a top BNP leader and former President of Bangladesh.

“If Khaleda Zia can work freely leading the party during the election campaign, BNP will win…and form the next government,” he said. “They are keeping her in jail simply to keep her away from our party’s election campaign.”

BNP leaders also spoke³ of dangers to Zia in jail. A.K.M. Wahiduzzaman told VOA that Zia is being kept in a decaying jail without important medical care.

“They are gradually pushing her towards death.”

Change of power

Since 1991, control of Bangladesh has moved between two parties: the BNP and the Awami League. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leads the Awami League.

Between 1991 and 2006, Zia was the prime minister for three terms and Hasina for one. In 2009, Hasina became prime minister again and the Awami League has led the government since then.

Opposition arrests

Zia, her son and four others were accused of misusing $252,000 of foreign money meant for a non-profit aid organization. In February, a court sentenced her to five years in jail. Five others, including her son, received jail terms of 10 years each.

Thousands of BNP leaders and activists⁴ have been arrested in recent months, mostly on charges of political violence.

Dhaka University law professor Asif Nazrul said the arrest and detention⁵ of opposition leaders and activists is still happening. He said the current government hopes to weaken BNP’s ability to take part in the elections and the government-run media is damaging the image of the BNP.

But Awami League official Mahbubul Alam Hanif denied the arrests are political.

He said that, in 2013, 2014 and 2015, many BNP leaders and activists took part in violence, killing⁶ or injuring people. He said law enforcement agencies are acting⁷ correctly and that innocent people will not be arrested.

New demands

Earlier this month, BNP presented a list of demands for the government before it takes part in the election. They included Zia’s release and the suspension of Parliament.

But, Food Minister Kamrul Islam said the government would not meet any such demands. He said elections would be free, fair and follow the Constitution.

The BNP boycotted⁸ elections in 2014 when their demands were not met. That will not happen this time, said official A. K. M. Wahiduzzaman.

“But, we will make our best effort to campaign and take part in the national election this time.”

I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

decaying – adj. to go slowly from a bad condition to a worse condition

gradually – adv. happening in a slow way over a long period of time

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 misusing   

v.使用…不当( misuse的现在分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• This means we must stop misusing them. 也就是说，我们已必须停止滥用抗菌素不可了。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器
• Misusing organic fertilizer may cause a decrease in the soil's quality. 滥用有机肥料可能会导致土地的土质下降。 来自互联网

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。