2007年VOA标准英语-Bangladesh Trying to Exile Battling Begums

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
22 April 2007

The fate of the women who lead Bangladesh's two main political parties remains¹ uncertain. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed² to return to Bangladesh to face murder and corruption⁴ charges, but she has not been allowed to fly back to Dhaka. Meanwhile, another former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, may go into voluntary exile. VOA's Steve Herman reports from our South Asia bureau in New Delhi.

Bangladesh's former prime ministers Khaleda Zia, left, and Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh's military backed interim⁵ government is a step closer to ridding the country of the two women it accuses of a 15-year era of corrupt³ and violent political rule in the country.

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who heads the Awami League, was refused a boarding pass Sunday as she tried to board a British Aiways flight from London to Dhaka.

Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil tells VOA the government in Dhaka has instructed airlines not to allow her on any flight headed for Bangladesh.

"I do not know what will happen," said Abdul Jalil. "If she cannot get on board she will not be able to come to Bangladesh."

Ms. Hasina has vowed to return home to face murder and extortion charges filed against her while she was vacationing in the United States.

A Bangladesh court on Sunday issued a warrant for her arrest, alleging⁶ she is responsible for the deaths last October of at least four people who were beaten by Awami League activists⁷ during rioting in Dhaka.

Jalil, a former commerce minister, is among the 43 people facing murder charges in connection with that incident. He says party leaders will use the legal system, not demonstrations⁸, to fight the charges.

"We will fight legally, because this is a case which cannot be fought on the street," he said. "We will have to fight in court of law. And we are 100-percent sure that in the procedural court of law, nothing will happen [to us], because there is no evidence."

Meanwhile Hasina's arch rival, Bangladesh National Party leader Khaleda Zia led a coalition⁹ government until last October. She has been negotiating a deal with the government to have corruption charges dropped against her two sons in exchange for their pledge to go into exile in Saudi Arabia. It is unclear whether she will quickly conclude a deal or attempt to stay in Bangladesh, where her followers¹⁰ say she has been under house arrest.

An interim government backed by the army took was installed in January after the country was paralyzed by strikes and violence - blamed on the followers of the two former prime ministers. Bangladesh has been under emergency rule since then, and elections scheduled for January have been put off until next year.

Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibar Rahman, the country's first president and prime minister. He was murdered along with most of his family in 1975.

Khaleda Zia is the widow of a former president who was assassinated¹¹ during an attempted military coup¹² in 1981.

Despite the current suspension of democracy, the interim government has gained popular support with its anti-corruption drive - in which 160 people from both of the main parties have been arrested.

Government officials have said they would like to hold elections before the end of next year, but have also made it clear that they want neither of the two women to play any further role in Bangladeshi politics.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

6 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

11 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

12 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。