A 'standard note' circulated to MPs in the British House of Commons says 'the political scene in Bangladesh remains as turbulent as ever.'
Published : 22 Jan 2015, 12:19 PM
The turbulence is blamed on the 'battling Begums', Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
"In recent weeks, the hostilities between the ‘battling Begums’ have further intensified," says the 5-page note, as it details the events after Jan 5, when police allegedly confined Khaleda in her Gulshan office and she called an indefinite nationwide transport blockade in protest.
Nearly 30 deaths have been reported in violence during the blockade.
It says: "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been widely accused of playing fast and loose with democracy. But the sincerity of Khaleda Zia’s commitment to democracy is also being questioned by many analysts. Some wonder whether she may actually be hoping that her current strategy forces the army to intervene once again and oust the AL government. As yet, there is no sign of this happening."
The note mentions that "perhaps understandably, given just how treacherous the waters are, Western donors have held back from imposing sanctions of any kind."
The only positive part in the note is about the state of Bangladesh’s economy and its social sector.