Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused Opposition leader Khaleda Zia of harbouring false hopes of the military staging a coup to unseat her Government, even as four more persons were killed on Monday in the ongoing political turmoil that has claimed over 100 lives. “Zia is hoping for a military intervention. She thinks someone in uniform will put her in power,” the Prime Minister said here yesterday, taking a dig at her arch rival and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief.
The Premier said the consequences of such interventions appeared counter-productive to the ex-coup leaders or military rulers in the past and the Constitution now incorporated a provision of sentencing to death the usurpers. “There’s provision for capital punishment (for unauthorised takeovers). Those you are waiting for are aware of the consequences,” she said.
Bangladesh has faced several military coups since independence. “So everybody knows the result. I don’t believe anyone will dare step into the fire...Then who would give her (Zia) such assurancesIJ” Hasina asked.