Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Convicted of Corruption – Civil Unrest Risk

• Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh was handed a five-year jail term for embezzlement and corruption in office.
• Violent protests were reported in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.
• Zia’s party, the Bangladesh National Party, have announced their intent to continue protests.

Political: Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s former prime minister, and a senior member of the opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP), was convicted of corruption charges on 08 February 2018. An extensive security presence was in place surrounding the courthouse in Dhaka, including the Rapid Action Battalion, a specialist para-military unit, as thousands of BNP supporters took to the streets to demonstrate their support for Zia in the lead up to and following the verdict.

One person was reported killed, and another 25 seriously wounded in Dhaka on 08 February, law enforcement made use of tear gas and batons to disperse crowds, and travel restrictions were implemented in an attempt to impede protesters gathering. Beyond Dhaka, police in Sylhet used rubber bullets to break-up crowds, wounding four, while Chittagong saw clashes between police and rioters. The BNP reports that up to 3,500 party members may have been detained by police in the lead up to the verdict.

The allegations against Zia, and members of her wider family, relate to the redirection of approximately $250,000 of foreign donations towards an orphanage project between 2001 and 2006. Zia received a five-year jail sentence, with her son and four other participants receiving ten-year terms. Bangladeshi law bars those with convictions of over two years from holding elected office within five years after their release. Key groups within the BNP hold that the corruption charges are part of a wider plot to force Zia and her family to withdraw from politics, rather than an abuse of power on her part.

Unrest is likely to continue into the weekend of 09-11 February as BNP activists have called upon their supporters to continue to oppose the verdict, with major events planned following Friday prayers. Demonstrations are likely to focus around BNP party offices. In the longer term, Zia has already announced the intention to appeal the judgement in the Supreme Court, and any further legal hearings are also likely to be accompanied by protests. No dates for the appeal have yet been identified. At this stage, Zia has not been barred from running in the December 2018 election, however the ban will be enacted if she loses her appeal.