Bangladesh: Is he above the law? The Awami League criticizes Tarique Rahman of the BNP for receiving “repeated privileges.”
Bangladesh: After 17 years of self-imposed exile, Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), returned to the war-torn nation on Saturday. The Awami League expressed concerns about what it called “repeated privileges” granted to Rahman under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, referring to them as “violations of the law.”
Rahman’s arrival in Bangladesh on Thursday coincides with the Election Commission’s announcement on December 11 that the 13th national parliamentary election and referendum on the July Charter would take place on February 12 of the next year.
According to reports, the BNP leader will also finish the requirements to register as a voter on Saturday.
“After being found guilty, Tarique Rahman is now getting one privilege after another, and the public is very troubled by his repeated legal infractions. Does the law, which is stringent and unforgiving for regular people, become lenient in Tarique Rahman’s case? Or is he effectively above the law?” said the Awami League.
“These problems have been apparent from the day we arrived in the nation. “How can this go unnoticed?” it continued. “Not paying tolls at authorized toll facilities is an offense that is definitely punished for regular people.
The party questioned Rahman’s registration while the election timetable was still in place, pointing out that fresh voter registration is constitutionally forbidden in Bangladesh after the calendar is revealed.
The party also questioned how the procedure was carried out on a Saturday, a weekly government holiday, how the legislation was obeyed, and who gave the orders.
The Awami League claims that these occurrences are not isolated but rather constitute a consistent trend, raising concerns about whether Rahman is subject to different regulations. If so, the party questioned, what is the status of the legally declared “the law is equal for all” principle?
“Crime is crime—no matter how big or tiny. Major crimes will inevitably be promoted if lesser offenses are given legitimacy by the use of force. The party pointed out that this unique right to disobey the law calls into question not just one person but the whole governmental apparatus.
The Awami League emphasized that the public is wondering whether the law in Bangladesh is really the same for everyone or if Rahman is getting his own law. The group cautioned that without definitive answers, public confidence in the rule of law will deteriorate even more.