Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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April 22, 2007

Bangladesh Awaits Word on Critical Travel Plans of Battling Begums
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=172AA83:A6F02AD83191E16052CA479424741AFD9574F7DCC14957C0 Former PM Sheikh
Hasina, vowes to return to Bangladesh to face murder and corruption
charges,  as former PM Khaleda Zia prepares to go into voluntary
exile, to have corruption charges dropped against her two sons





Bangladesh's former prime ministers Khaleda Zia, left, and Sheikh
Hasina The fate of the women who lead Bangladesh's two main political
parties remains up in the air. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,
who heads the Awami League, has vowed to return to Bangladesh to face
murder and corruption charges, even though a warrant has been issued
for her arrest and the government has instructed airlines not to allow
her to board any flights to Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Khaleda Zia, also a
former prime minister and head of the rival Bangladesh Nationalist
Party, has been preparing to go into voluntary exile, but there are
suggestions she might fight to stay in the country. VOA's Steve Herman
reports from our South Asia bureau in New Delhi.

Bangladesh's military-backed interim government appears a step closer
to ridding the country of the two women it accuses of a 15-year era of
corrupt and violent political rule in the country.

Khaleda Zia, who as head of the Bangladesh National Party led a
coalition government until last October, has been negotiating a deal
by the government that could see corruption charges dropped against
her two sons. In exchange, she and her family would go into exile in
Saudi Arabia. It is unclear whether she will quickly conclude a deal
or attempt to stay in Bangladesh.

Her arch-rival, Sheikh Hasina, also a former prime minister, is in
London trying to board a flight departing Sunday for Dhaka. But Abdul
Jalil, the general secretary of her Awami League, tells VOA that might
prove difficult, because the government in Dhaka has instructed
airlines not to allow her on any flight headed for Bangladesh.

"I do not know what will happen. If she cannot get on board she will
not be able to come to Bangladesh," said Jalil.

Ms. Hasina has vowed to return home to face murder and extortion
charges filed against her while she was vacationing in the United
States.

A Bangladesh court on Sunday issued a warrant for her arrest, alleging
she is responsible for the deaths last October of at least four people
who were beaten by Awami League activists during rioting in Dhaka.

Awami League secretary-general Jalil, a former commerce minister, is
among the 43 people facing murder charges in connection with that
incident. He says party leaders will use the legal system, not
demonstrations, to fight the charges.

"We'll fight legally, because this is a case which cannot be fought on
the street. We will have to fight in court of law. And we are 100
percent sure that in the procedural court of law, nothing will happen
[to us], because there is no evidence."

An interim government backed by the army was installed in January
after the country was paralyzed by strikes and violence - blamed on
the followers of the two former prime ministers. Bangladesh has been
under emergency rule since then, and elections scheduled for January
have been put off until next year.

Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibar Rahman, the country's
first president and prime minister. He was murdered along with most of
his family in 1975.

Khaleda Zia is the widow of a former president who was assassinated
during an attempted military coup in 1981.

Despite the current suspension of democracy, the interim government
has gained popular support with its anti-corruption drive, in which
160 people from both of the main parties have been arrested.

Government officials have said they would like to hold elections
before the end of next year, but have also made it clear that they
want neither of the two women to play any further role in Bangladeshi
politics.


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