British lawyer for Khaleda: BNP comes under scrutiny

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party matched itself with Jamaat-e-Islami on their position on war crime trials, as they appointed Lord Alex Carlile as a legal adviser to Khaleda Zia, said Shahriar Kabir, president of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee.

Awami League leader Mohammed Nasim viewed the initiative by the BNP as a strategy to ‘become friendlier’ with its old ally Jamaat-e-Islami. 

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they also want to draw the attention of international community to the case against Khaleda, besides receiving legal aid from Lord Carlile, the British legal expert who happens to be a member of the House of Lords.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda ended up in jail for five years after she was convicted of embezzling foreign funds donated for orphans. The Supreme Court stayed her four months’ bail granted by the High Court.

The Appellate Division suspended Khaleda’s bail until May 8, following appeals opened by the government and the graft watchdog.

The BNP then announced the appointment of Lord Carlile as its legal adviser following the order of the Supreme Court.

The appointment of the British lawyer, who earlier criticised the judicial system in Bangladesh for handing death sentences to Jamaat leaders who committed war crimes in 1971, drew sharp reactions from the leaders of the ruling Awami League.

In appointing the British lawyer, the BNP opted for someone who stood for Mir Kashem Ali, a war criminal, only to cling to Jamaat-e-Islami, said AL leader Mohammed Nasim.

“Khaleda appointed a foreigner as her legal aide, as she does not trust her own lawyers; moreover, that lawyer is none other than the notorious legal expert from London who stood for Mir Kashem Ali, a war criminal of 1971,” said Nasim.

“They (BNP) brought in the lobbyist of a war criminal to Dhaka which means Khaleda Zia is still on great terms with Jamaat and the war criminals,” he said.

“BNP proved they hold the same point of view as they had during the trial of those who committed genocide in 1971 by appointing Lord Carlile as the legal aide for Khaleda Zia’s case; BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami stay on the same ground,” said Shahriar Kabir when asked by bdnews24.com.

“What makes us angry is the fact Lord Carlile is not only a lawyer but also a member in the House of Lords in Britain, the house that condemned the genocide in 1971; the British government, its people, even the British media condemned it,” he said.

He said Lord Carlile has ‘misused his office’ as a representative of British people to provide legal help to Jamaat and now doing the same for Khaleda Zia.

“It is unfortunate and also immoral that he took advantage of his position initially for providing legal aid to those who committed genocide, and now for a corrupt person,” he said.

Shahriar Kabir said he had a long debate with Lord Carlile five years back regarding the trial of war crimes.

“At that point in time I felt he was briefed by Jamaat-e-Islami; he has accepted them as his clientele. He is not only a lawmaker but also a lawyer. It is normal for him to accept any case or to be briefed,” he said.

Shahriar Kabir says he is not astonished to see BNP seeking help from Lord Carlile.

“Both BNP and Jamaat have the same point of view regarding cases of war crimes. Similarly, their lawyer Lord Carlile has the same perception. Therefore, it is not surprising BNP will appoint a lawyer working for the war criminals,” he said.

He also informed Lord Carlile had raised questions on the verdict of the case against war criminal Mir Kashem Ali.

“We criticised it when he wrote a letter to the government after the verdict; how could he raise questions against our judiciary, being a foreigner? Just the way we cannot raise question against the judiciary of any country, other countries cannot do it to us too,” said Shahriar Kabir.

The government should warn him through its diplomatic channel not to raise questions on Bangladesh’s judicial system, he said.

“He should be told clearly for not having rights to comment on the issue being the lawmaker of a different country,” said Shahriar Kabir.