“Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury was awarded three years’ jail only for political reasons in a false and fabricated case. This verdict is pre-planned and politically motivated one,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.  

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he further said, “The verdict has exposed the ‘neo Baksal’ rule in the country. The criticism of the government is now regarded as a crime as the spirit of Nazi misrule has now descended on the Awami League government.”

On Wednesday, Chattogram Senior Judicial Magistrate Shahidullah Kaisar sentenced Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury, younger brother of executed war criminal Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, to three years’ jail in a case filed over issuing death threat to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and making derogatory comments on her.

On May 29 last year, Giasuddin at a discussion programme said the fate of Sheikh Hasina would turn out to be worse than that of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1975.

Rizvi said Tuesday was the first date fixed for recording the deposition of witnesses.” After recording the depositions of six witnesses in 20 minutes, the judge decided to declare the verdict the following day. It’s an unprecedented incident. We strongly denounce the verdict and express our anger and grievance against it.”

He demanded that their party vice chairman Giasuddin be released immediately by annulling the punishment given through a ‘dictated’ verdict.

The BNP leader said the government cannot tolerate dissenting opinion in any way. “Under the current situation, only the ruling party men can make unguarded remarks and hold meetings and rallies but no other political parties can enjoy such rights.”