This refers to the editorial, “Battle of the begums” (February 10). It is safe to presume that Khaleda Zia has that wafer thin chance of bouncing back unless the courts have other ideas. That her son has also been convicted for 10 years in the same case, effectively means the doors are shut on the Zia family from doing backdoor politics, though her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) workers have not lost hope of their leader's release. At present, however, it is advantage Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed who is enjoying her third term as the Prime Minister and whose acerbic rivalry with Khaleda Zia is legendary.
Khaleda Zia choosing not to contest in 2013 is seen as a blunder as it allowed Hasina to consolidate. Nevertheless, allegations of corruption, nepotism and dictatorial tinge have grown over the last couple of years which Khaleda Zia could have cashed-in if she had remained in active politics. Bangladeshis crave to see Prime Minister Hasina of of the 1991-1996 period. Now that she is in the pole position, its time for the Prime Minister to tackle the Rohingya crisis in right earnest by taking friendly countries like India into confidence. She should not let fade the democratic principles, which she once stood for, in her country. But Hasina would do Bangladesh a world of good if she keeps her vitriolic personal feud with the jailed Khaleda on a backburner, and seriously gets back to administering the country.