April 28, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1428

DHAKA: The adviser for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, Mr Mainul Hosein, has claimed that the advice for sending abroad the chiefs of two major political parties, Awami League and BNP, came from within the parties.

The leaders of both the Awami League and the BNP, however, rejected the claim. In an interview with a private television channel, the adviser said there was no problem for the government whether the leaders stayed in the country or not.

“But the government was told by people from within the parties that if the two leaders stayed in the country, necessary reforms in the parties could not be carried out,” Hosein said in interview with Channel i.

The adviser made the remarks in an attempt to clarify the repeated changes in the government’s decision regarding Khaleda Zia and Hasina Wajid.

The government first claimed that there were no restrictions on the movement of the leaders. Later it issued a press note barring the Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina from returning home from abroad, and then issued two press notes saying there were no restrictions on the freedom of movement of the two leaders.

Reacting to Mr Hosein’s interview on Friday, Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil dismissed the claim as fabricated.

“No one had asked the adviser to keep the leaders outside the country. The adviser’s claims were absolutely self-made.”

BNP spokesman Nazrul Islam Khan said Mr Hosein’s statement gave an impression that the interim government was being run on the advice of politicians.

“I believe no BNP leader can suggest sending Khaleda Zia into exile. If there are any, who think that forcing her into exile would be beneficial to the country, the government should disclose their names.”