Madam's orders

A sample of how Khaleda Zia conducts her agitation is up on the YouTube.

Social Media DeskSocial Media deskbdnews24.com
Published : 2 Feb 2015, 04:04 AM
Updated : 2 Feb 2015, 04:04 AM

Audio files of her telephone conversations with BNP leaders during a party rally four years ago have been put up on the video-sharing website from an account called Bangla Leaks.

The conversations are replete with Khaleda's "instructions" to her party colleagues.

The headlines on the audio files claim them to be evidence of Khaleda's involvement in trouble-making. On Dec 18, 2011, the BNP had organised a gathering of freedom fighters.

Police action in disrupting the gathering at the Engineers Institution was followed by clashes in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh

One died in a bomb explosion in Dhaka and another passenger in Sylhet was burnt to death when a bus was set on fire. Many vehicles were vandalised or set on fire.

Four of the five audio files containing snatches of Khaleda's conversation with BNP leaders pertain to events of that gathering of freedom fighters.

"Will this program (event) of Freedom fighters continue, should we go on with it?" someone is asking Khaleda from the other end in the first audio clip.

"Yes, as of now, go ahead with it. But nobody should stay there. All our boys should be on the street. I don’t want anyone inside. Ask all our boys to step out," Khaleda is heard saying.

The BNP chairperson is heard asking a party leader to tell Dhaka BNP convenor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and general secretary Abdus Salam to 'mobilise more people'.

"Ask Khoka and Salam to mobilise more people, if they can't, they should be relieved of their positions. I want more people out on the streets," Khaleda thunders.

"Have you spoken to them (Khoka and Salam) ?" she is heard asking.

"Yes," says the person on the other side, before he is cut off by Khaleda.

"Oh no, I am referring to those other people, with whom you talk all the time. Why have they not hit the streets until now ... get more of them out."

Then comes clearer instructions.

"Tell all our people to leave Engineers Institution and Press Club and come out on the streets. I want none inside there. Only the freedom fighters should remain there. Everybody else on the streets, now".

In another conversation with Abdus Salam, Khaleda is heard saying: Get more people out on the streets fast. Mobilise more of them. Don’t delay, or else we will be inconvenienced, don’t you understand! "

In a third conversation, she is heard asking a BNP leader to 'activate' the Jamaat-e-Islami.

"Ask Jamaat to mobilise their people everywhere. Not just in Dhaka, but everywhere. And ask Mridul to do up his place properly."

This appears to be a hint to stir enough trouble in areas where ‘Mridul’ is active.

The fourth conversation uploaded is a telephone talk between Khaleda and Khoka.

"Ask your commissioners to concentrate strongly in their areas. The roads must be totally blocked, what else! … make it area wise," says Khaleda.

The fifth file pertains to a conversation between Khaleda Zia and Golam Akbar Khandakar of Chittagong, in which BNP Chittagong president Amir Khosru Mahmud Choudhury and general secretary Shahadat Hossain's names are mentioned.

Khaleda: "I have given responsibility to Shahadat to execute a major task. Khosru should not object to anything, give him that message."

And when Khandakar murmurs something not clearly audible, Khaleda explodes: He (Khosru) is obstructing our plans. Tell him clearly not to do that. If he continues to object and obstruct, I will remove him."

And one point, she erupts again: You were a diplomat (Khandakar was Bangladesh ambassador in Oman when Khaleda was prime minister) but you dont know how to talk."

And she emphasizes -- "Please tell Khosru again, not to obstruct or object in any way, am I clear!"

While this appears to be a clear enough evidence of Khaleda instructing party leaders to organise sabotage and violence, the Bangla Leaks files on YouTube also have BNP leaders Amanullah Aman, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Maruf Kamal Khan and two staff from Khaleda’s office issuing instructions for acts of sabotage and violence.

On previous occasions, telephone conversations of Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee, BNP leader Tarique Rahman, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, MK Anwar, Joynal Abedin Farooque have been uploaded from this account.