Two recent incidents in conflict-ravaged Bangladesh raises serious questions about its interim government’s chief adviser Mohammed Yunus’ pitch for restoring rule of law in the country after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The sudden release of Jashimuddin Rahmani, top leader of the Islamist terror group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) from jail where he was serving a prison sentence for murdering secular blogger Rajib Haider contrasts sharply to framed charges of murder against the country’s cricket hero Shakib Al Hassan despite his absence from the country during the murder he is accused off.

Rahmani’s ABT has strong Al Qaeda affiliations. Before his release from jail, he was flown in a helicopter to a district to help him attend his sister’s funeral ceremony — an unusual favour for a known terrorist.

By contrast, Shakib, a former lawmaker of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, was among 147 people against whom charges in a murder case has been filed by one Rafiqul Islam at Dhaka’s Adabor police station.

Islam has also named deposed PM Sheikh Hasina, many former ministers and lawmakers including film star Ferdous and Awami League secretary-general Obaidul Quader as accused in the murder.

On 5 August, Islam’s son Rubel was shot during the student protest agitation over job quotas that had plunged Bangladesh into political turmoil. He was wounded in the firing and died in a hospital after two days, the FIR said. Islam’s lawyer has also demanded Shakib should be kept out of the Bangladesh team in all formats of the game.

However, Shakib was........

© Eurasia Review