Amid mounting call from Awami League asking BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to vacate the cantonment house as per the High Court judgement, BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury said politics or judiciary has nothing to do with it.
“The army will have to decide whether it will let the widow of a former army chief stay in that house,” Quader, a standing committee member of the party, said.
He was addressing a press briefing at his Dhanmondi residence yesterday.
Quader said the army can “oust” Khaleda from the house even in three days if it wants, but the issue has no relation with politics, administration or judiciary.
Awami League presidium member Obaidul Quader, however, said involving army in it will be “unnecessary and embarrassing” for the force.
"…It's too late…. When the government issued the first notice, BNP could say it is a military affair and stand by that. BNP rather took the issue to the highest court," the AL policymaker said.
When the High Court stayed the government notice for three-months, the BNP was joyous; and now when the same court declared the government notice valid, BNP leaders are refusing to accept it, he observed.
BNP leader Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, however, said army is not separated from the government.
The government can either consider allowing Khaleda Zia to stay in her cantonment house on humanitarian ground rising above confrontational politics or face legal battle, Rahman, a BNP standing committee member told The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, AL leader Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya urged BNP to accept the HC verdict without raising any question.
Speaking at a discussion at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity yesterday, he also called on Khaleda Zia to engage herself into the politics of people's welfare instead of focusing on the house, car or her sons.
The government on April 8 last year cancelled the allotment of Khaleda's cantonment house for “violating a number of terms and conditions of the allotment”.
On May 3 last year, Khaleda filed a writ petition with the HC challenging the legality of the government notice. The HC subsequently stayed the government notice for three months.
On October 13 this year, the HC rejected her petition and declared valid the government notice asking her to vacate the house.
The HC also asked the government to give her one-month to do so.