Has Tarique met ISI chief?

The Times of Assam, an Indian newspaper, has reported that Tarique Rahman, acting chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), recently met the chief of the ISI, Pakistan's powerful military intelligence, as part of a plan to have the Awami League of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina defeated at the forthcoming general election.

The news report was broadcast by TV channels and picked up by some national dailies. The Times of Assam report has drawn attention because it comes just days away from the 30 December national elections.

The newspaper also said that the ISI has become active in recent days to try and bring the BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami back to power.

It is seeing the coming election as a "battle" between the Awami League and the BNP. It wants an anti-Indian government in Bangladesh. The meeting with Tarique Rahman was designed to achieve that goal, said the Times of Assam. 

Historians have long believed that the ISI had a hand in Bangabandhu's killing and BNP founder General Ziaur Rahman was allegedly involved in the assassination.

General Zia rehabilitated pro-Pakistanis, including war criminals, many of whom returned to Bangladesh. One of them was Jamaat chief and war criminal Ghulam Azam. Non-Bengalis too returned and got back their confiscated properties from General Zia.

Dhaka and Islamabad relations picked up rapidly with many training programmes, including sensitive defence matters, coming under this new warming of ties between the two former enemies. Space was given to Indian separatists. Relations between Dhaka and Islamabad peaked during the 2001-2006 BNP rule under Khaleda Zia.

One may remember that Parliament under Khaleda Zia brought a condolence motion for a retired officer of the Pakistan Army as he was "liked" by the then premier. That officer served in East Pakistan during the 1971 war and took part in the genocide of Bengalis.

Political observers feel it is time for Bangladesh's intelligence and security agencies to investigate the reports on the alleged Tarique-ISI conspiracy in the larger interest of Bangladesh's people.