Political instability threatening Bangladesh

"The arrest of Bidisha Ershad the wife of ex-president and leader of the Jatiya party chairman HM Ershad is explained as a sign of a rift, not only in the former president's personal life, but also in the opposition.

Bidisha Ershad was arrested on charges that she is planning to sneak out of the country and settle abroad where she is planning to form her own opposition group.

The official charges against her include stealing her husband's mobile phone, computers and vandalizing his office in his own house. According to sources in the capital Dhaka Bidisha was tipped off she might be allowed a safe passage abroad if she takes an oath to stop political activity.

Her father, veteran politician Abu Bakar Siddiq, said that if his daughter will be allowed to leave she would not return until after the next general elections and that her son, Eric, will stay with his father. Officials close to the Jatiya party said the whole affair is a strong sign Bangladeshi politics are spiraling out of control and warned more arrests were underway to prevent more dissent from being formed against the government."

--- JFG2B