BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said the judges who abetted in establishing Sheikh Hasina’s fascist regime in Bangladesh must face trial to prevent such abuse of the judiciary in the future.
“The judiciary is one of the key elements that helped establish fascism. Justice Khairul Haque, Justice Enayetur Rahim, Justice Asaduzzaman and countless others are among those who contributed to the establishment of fascism,” he told a discussion.
The Nationalist Research Foundation (NRF) organised the programme titled ‘60 lakh accused in false cases under fascism: How far the redress’ at the Jatiya Press Club.
Rizvi said Justice Asaduzzaman unlawfully sentenced a patriotic leader like Khaleda Zia in a false case, while Justice Enayetur Rahim doubled her jail term.
“Why won't those judges be punished? The judges of fascism must face trial. If their trial is ensured, no one in the future will dare to use the judiciary to carry out their evil intentions and impose undemocratic repression on the people,” he said.
Drawing a comparison to post-World War II trials, Rizvi said at the Nuremberg Trials, those who served as judges in Hitler's court and sentenced millions of prisoners to death at his command without listening to any logic were brought to justice.
“If they could be tried, then why can’t those who prolonged the fascism of Sheikh Hasina be tried now? Their trial must be ensured,” he said.
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The BNP leader urged the interim government to remain alert so that it does not get infected by the virus of the previous fascist regime of Sheikh Hasina.
He said the interim government, led by Prof Muhammad Yunus, has been running the country for the last eight months, as Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 last year in the face of a mass uprising.
“The people expect the interim government to restore the free and fair elections that Sheikh Hasina tried to usurp and make invisible,” the BNP leader said.
He questioned why the interim government is keeping people in uncertainty over the election. “Why is the election swinging like a pendulum between December and June? Make it clear to the people.”
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Rizvi alleged that Sheikh Hasina's regime implicated around 60 lakh BNP leaders and activists in false cases to suppress the opposition and continue her authoritarian rule and plundering. “This was the manifestation of torture by the fascist regime.”
Earlier, addressing the programme, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s adviser Mahadi Amin said there are countries in the world whose entire population is less than 60 lakh. “But in Bangladesh, 60 lakh BNP members are accused in various cases.”
Rizvi echoed Mahadi’s sentiment by comparing the figure to Denmark’s population, saying, “Denmark has around 50 lakh people. Yet, here, we have more accused BNP members than the population of an entire country.”
He also criticised the selective withdrawal of cases under the current government, noting that while Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has seen his legal troubles eased, cases against BNP leaders and activists remain unresolved.
BNP’s International Affairs Secretary Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim presented the keynote paper at the programme, held with NRF Convener Syed Abdal Ahmed in the chair.