Asia

Bangladesh a re-run of the US inspired Pakistani experiment

The Bangladesh Supreme Court ruled last month that a lower court could go ahead and prosecute detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for allegedly extorting more than $400,000.  Similar initiatives to prosecute Khaleda Zia the former prime minister of Bangladesh and her close advisors have also gained momentum. What is interesting about these measures is that it bears a striking resemblance to the reconfiguration of Pakistani politics under General Musharraf.

When Musharraf deposed Nawaz Sharif in 1999, he embarked upon ambitious programme to reconstruct a political party loyal to US interests under the guise of cleaning up corruption. He used legal charges as means of forcing Benazir and Sharif loyalists to form a new party called PML-Q.Likewise the pro-American Bangladeshi army removed the Khaleda Zia, appointed a caretaker government which under the guise of corruption-free politics has undertaken efforts to construct a political party from politicians loyal to Hasina and Zia
 
However, after almost 8 years of trying in Pakistan the US has totally failed to produce a credible political party that supports its agenda and has wide-spread appeal amongst the masses.  Given the resurgence of Islam across the sub-continent, it is more than likely that the US inspired Pakistani experiment in Bangladesh will meet a similar fate if not sooner.