The patriarchal slant of human history notwithstanding, the hand that rocked the cradle of illustrious men like Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill did rule the world in many vicarious ways. Mothers, for better or for worse, are enormously influential in their sons' lives, and prominent male leaders have been indisputably shaped by their mothers.

Sigmund Freud, Adolf Hitler and Franklin D. Roosevelt, among others, were portrayed as mama's boys. Others who struggled against domineering mothers include George Washington and Douglas MacArthur. Among those who were raised almost exclusively by their mothers are John D. Rockefeller and Ronald Reagan.

The influence of mothers in the upbringing of their sons, and moulding of their moral fiber, cannot be over emphasized. It's no coincidence that human history is replete with a plethora of anecdotes of the role of mothers.

Whether it's Rebecca in the Old Testament or Kunti in Mahabaratha, mothers have been recognised for playing the primary role in the premise of each story. Even Kaikeyi in the Ramayana is granted a place of imminence as the mother of Bharat.

Napoleon Bonaparte, the great French military general, and one of history's most astute military tacticians, is known to have said: "Give me a good mother and I will give you the world."

Jackie Kennedy (Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis) once said: "If one fouled up motherhood then nothing else matters." However radical the statement may sound, Jackie is right on the money, and most appropriately so in case of BNP's Khaleda Zia.

The adage: "The mother that rocks the cradle rules the world" may be amended in the context of Khaleda to read, "The mother that rocked the cradle ruled a country and raised two criminal sons, and ruined a party along with the country." If Zia-ur-Rahman were reincarnated today, he'd possibly strip his name from Khaleda's, for all her alleged illicit activities.

With reference to dynastic politics she recently claimed: "The position I'm in today hasn't been achieved overnight by means of family influence. It's because of years of struggle on the streets, merit, and support of the people." She also claimed that her family members and relatives occupied positions in the party and in the government by virtue of their qualification and competence.

At first blush, Khaleda's claim that she became the leader of the party and the premier of the country by merit seems comically absurd. But while I first laughed and laughed like others at this mindless self-assertion, it suddenly occurred to me how this notion of "merit" may have gotten stuck in her brain.

Why shouldn't she feel she's smarter than the rest in BNP, given that so many Ph.Ds, barristers, lawyers, retired civil and military officials in her party granted her their unreserved support?

My friends and I aren't the only ones who are at a complete loss to explain how these people still honour this woman as their leader, after learning about her shenanigans from the government and from the media.

In his January 7 interview with Mathew Rothenberg (Washington Post columnist), former BNP lawmaker Nazim Kamran Chowdhury (NKC) said that after democracy was restored in 1991, Khaleda led BNP to victory and was elected prime minister.

NKC added, "We thought she believed in the ideals we had. But the moment she became prime minister she was more interested in the trappings of power rather than the exercise of power. There was no discussion, no policy initiatives."

NKC categorically depicted that Khaleda had no conception of what democracy was about, and that she was only interested in ruling the country and liked to decide who got what job and which business contract.

Despite these withering indictments from a politician of BNP's inner circle, she continued to enjoy the supremacy of her position, both as prime minister and the party's unchallenged leader. Today, many of her courtiers and accomplices are distancing themselves from her simply because she is not only empty-handed but also waiting to be handcuffed.

While she must not escape indictment for her mischief, others who were her advisers should also be indicted for the role they played in her administration's myriad corruptions.

Instead of having any semblance of remorse for her mischief and misrule, she's barefacedly trying to rehabilitate her political image. In a direct challenge to the call for ending dynastic politics, Khaleda elevated her brother Syed Iskander (alleged to have amassed millions) to the position of BNP's vice-president to consolidate the party's command. Whether this is an audacious display of her pigheadedness, or an affront to the army-backed government, is yet to be deciphered.

Everyone knew all along that Khaleda, her sons and other family members were looting the country, but no one could appreciate the monstrous scale on which this plundering took place until her right hand man, Lutfozzaman Babar, detailed it.

Immediately after last week's sweeping arrests and house searches, Law Adviser Mainul Hosein proclaimed that all arrests were not corruption propelled -- some were necessitated by the need for gathering information and evidence, while others were booked for gross misuse of power and influence.

Adviser Moinul: Who else has misused power more sordidly than BNP's Khaleda? No woman ruler has ever done more to sully the name of politics. Why is she still roaming freely outside the prison?

With reference to Khaleda and Hasina, eminent jurist Kamal Hossain, in his May 7 interview with ATN Bangla, said: "Both of them (Khaleda and Hasina) are responsible, and should be accountable to the people for the misrule and corruption perpetuated during their respective governments." About Khaleda, he specifically added: "She will have to answer for all the irregularities and atrocities committed during her regime."

If and when this woman is convicted of her crimes, she should be sent back to high school to finish her unfinished education as her ultimate punishment, instead of spending taxpayers' money for her confinement.

Once she is forced to confront her considerable intellectual and ethical limitations she will hopefully be shamed from ever re-entering the political arena, much the same way that the proverbial quack doctor quit doing surgery once saw real surgery by a real medical surgeon.

Dr. Abdullah A. Dewan is a Professor of Economics at Eastern Michigan University.