Dhaka, Oct 12 (UNB) – BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said there is no question of Tarique Rahman’s resignation from the party post following his conviction in the August 21 grenade attack cases.

“The lower court’s verdict is the reflection of political vengeance. It was given with an evil motive to weaken BNP. So, there’s no question of Tarique Rahman’s resignation based on such a verdict,” he said.

He came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

The BNP leader claimed that Tarique was convicted with a political motive on fabricated charges brought by a partisan investigation officer. 

“Even after knowing the fact, some people are suggesting that he (Tarique) should resign from the party. People can question them (who are asking Tarique to quit) whether they demanded government’s resignation for indulging in several hundred killings and enforced disappearances,” he said.

Fakhrul alleged that a section of media has been making evil attempts to malign Tarique by publishing some ‘fabricated’ information about him after the announcement of the verdict in the August 21 grenade attack cases.

He hoped that the responsible media will refrain from carrying out propaganda against anyone to appease the government.

On Wednesday, a speedy trial tribunal sentenced 19 people to death, 19 others, including BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, to life imprisonment and eight more to different terms of jail in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.

Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed at a discussion said the verdict of the August 21 grenade attack cases is not impartial.

He said though Tarique had no involvement in the incident, he was implicated in the cases only to make a political gain.

Zia Parishad arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club demanding the release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The BNP leader said it is not justified to seek Tarique’s resignation from BNP since the verdict is acceptable and neutral. “The verdict was given with a political goal. So, our leader (Tarique) can’t resign after conviction through such verdict. It’s our party’s internal matter. We consider him (Tarique) our leader,” he observed.
 

Dhaka, Oct 12 (UNB) – BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed on Friday said the framework of the national unity will be announced very soon to carry out a movement to unseat the current government.

“The government thinks our efforts to forge the national unity will be harmed following the August 21 grenade attack verdict. I would like to say the movement of the national unity will continue ignoring the verdict,” he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader further said, “We’ll present the framework of the national unity very soon. We’ll also announce the outline of the movement. We’ll take all steps to ensure this regime’s fall based on the framework of the national unity.”

Zia Parishad arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club demanding the release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, said the government will be forced through the movement of the national unity to engage in talks to hold the next general election under a non-party administration.

He criticised the government for enacting the Digital Security Act to ‘gag’ the media ahead of the national election. “The government made the law so that the mass media can’t criticise it and work independently. There’re 7-8 sections in the act that are completely contrary to the Constitution.”

Referring to section 32 of the act, the BNP leader said journalists can be sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment and fined Tk 25 lakh for publishing any government document on its corruption and misdeed in the media. “It’s a draconian law enacted to curb the press freedom.”

In the section 47, he said, law enforcers are given limitless power which was not even given to Rakkhi Bahini (during 1975) as they'll be able to raid any office and house and seize computers and other equipment and arrest anyone without any warrant. 
Moudud, a former law minister, regretted that journalists are not united and organised to raise their voice against the law. “I urge the journalist brothers, you please put up a resistance against the law to protect your freedom and force the government to revoke it.”

He renewed their party’s stance against the law, saying BNP, if voted to power, will repeal it within seven days of assuming office.

Dhaka, Oct 12 (UNB) – BNP on Friday termed unexpected the court’s observations that the August 21 grenade attack was made with the help of state machinery as the party thinks it has similarity with the statement of Awami League.

“Like people, we’ve also got surprised over the court’s observations that the August 21 grenade attack was carried out with the help of the state machinery as it has fully reflected the ruling party’s political statement. The observations are illogical and unaccepted,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.

On Wednesday, a speedy trial tribunal sentenced 19 people to death, 19 others, including BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, to life imprisonment and eight more to different terms of jail in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.

In the observations of the verdict, Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Judge Shahed Nuruddin said it is utterly unacceptable that attempts will be made to make the opposition leaderless by carrying out such an attack with the help of state machinery.

Protesting the court observations, Fakhrul said if BNP has to take responsibility for killings in the August 21 grenade attack carried out during its rule, the current government also have to shoulder the responsibility for the carnage in BDR headquarters, killing of foreign diplomats, businessmen, NGO officials, university teachers, Imam-Muajjin, priests, bloggers and common people in Holey Artisan and other attacks by militants during its rule. “But these incidents were not mentioned in the observations of the verdict.”

About court’s observations on the ruling party’s responsibility to opposition parties, he said the killings of former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria and ex-MP Ahsanullah Master were mentioned, but the judge did not talk about the enforced disappearances of former State Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, ex-MPs M Ilias Ali and Saiful Islam Hiru, party leader Chowdhury Alam and many other political leaders and activists.

The BNP leader said the verdict can be put under questions as it did not say anything about the killings, enforced disappearances and repression on thousands of BNP leaders over the last 10 years.

Mentioning that various steps were taken by the then BNP-led government to ensure justice in the incident, he claimed that their government had no involvement in the incident.

The BNP leader said their party thinks their acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and other party leaders were convicted in the August 21 grenade attack cases based on the second and illegal deposition of executed militant leader Mufti Hannan. “We hope the apex court will consider it.”
 

Dhaka, Oct 11 (UNB) – Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday questioned on which moral ground Dr Kamal Hossain and Badruddoza Chowdhury are forging a national unity with BNP as its leaders are convicted in August-21 cases.

“Those who now talks about democracy and the rule of law are going to forge a national unity with killers. People will never believe this national unity and support it,” he said while speaking at a programme of Road Transport Department at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.

Quader further said, “The mastermind of the August-21 was sentenced to life imprisonment. He (Tarique) is the acting chairman of the party. On which moral ground, you’re forging unity with the party. Are Dr Kamal Hossain and ex-President Badruddoza Chowdhury making a so-called national unity with the killers’ party?”

On Wednesday, a speedy trial tribunal sentenced 19 people to death and 19 others, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman to life imprisonment, in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.

Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said those who forge unity with killers, convicted and corrupt persons are politically bankrupt and devoid of morality.

Reacting to BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s remark that August-21 verdicts are dictated ones, he said no one having conscience can say it.

“How was the evidence (of August-21 cases) destroyed when you’re in power? How did the attackers get the chance to flee in broad daylight? Why’re the unexploded grenades destroyed?” the ruling party leader raised the questions seeking an answer from BNP.

Mentioning that Khaleda Zia was the full-fledged Home Minister when the grenade attack was made, Quader said the BNP chief also cannot avoid the responsibility for the incident.
 

Dhaka, Oct 11 (UNB) - Attorney General (AG) Mahbubey Alam on Thursday said bringing fugitive BNP acting chairman Tarique  Rahman back will not be a hard job as he has been sentenced to life term jail in August 21 grenade attack cases.

The AG came up with the remarks while talking to reporters at his office a day after a speedy trial tribunal sentenced 19 people to death and 19 others, including Tarique Rahman to life imprisonment, in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.

“In case of death sentence, political asylum is given in many countries but international law doesn’t allow asylum to criminals. Tarique got life term jail in August 21 grenade attack cases. So, it won’t be difficult to bring him back to the country,” he said.

“We’ll also review the verdict. The state will file a petition for giving Tarique tougher punishment if it seems after review that Tarique should have been get death penalty,” he said.

“A Pakistani citizen is also convicted in the cases. We’re suspecting that Pakistan is still trying to turn Bangladesh into a country without leader. There remains much doubt about that Pakistani man. There might have been instigation from Pakistan to make the country unstable”, he added.

“Pakistan’s former President and Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto awarded death penalty though he didn’t kill anyone by himself but planned killing. So, I think Tarique also should have been awarded death sentence like others,” the AG said.