Khaleda arrest to ‘gravely destabilise’ Bangladesh: ICG

International Crisis Group on Monday warned that Bangladesh’s current political crisis may gravely destabilise Bangladesh if BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is arrested.
A special court has issued an arrest warrant for the leader of the opposition BNP, Khaleda Zia rejecting her prayer for time as she could not appear before the court in a corruption case on security grounds. “If the warrant is executed, it could seriously escalate the political crisis that has seen over 100 killed in anti-government protests since early January,” the ICG saidIn its monthly conflict situation report CrisisWatch released on March 2, ICG also said, “The crisis could gravely destabilise the country unless both the government and the BNP move urgently to reduce tensions (as explained in our new report).”
The Brussels-based group, in February, observed that escalation raised fears about possible extra-constitutional intervention or exploitation of crisis by extremist and criminal networks.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia called indefinite countrywide transport blockade on January 5 demanding inclusive election under a caretaker government and said the blockade would continue until the government agreed to dialogue for holding general elections.
The ICG crisiswatch report published on Monday says, ” In Bangladesh an anti-corruption court issued an arrest warrant for the leader of the opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP), Khaleda Zia. If the warrant is executed, it could seriously escalate the political crisis that has seen over 100 killed in anti-government protests since early January. The crisis could gravely destabilise the country unless both the government and the BNP move urgently to reduce tensions (as explained in our new report).” – News Desk