No govt plan to arrest Khaleda, says minister

Road, transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said the government does not have any plan to arrest BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the near future. Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, at a separate programme, also made a similar comment. “I don't have any information about this, though some of her (Khaleda) party leaders were speaking about it before the media,” Obaidul Quader added.
Obaidul Quader, also a presidium member of the Awami League (AL), was talking to reporters during his sudden visit to the BRTC bus depot in Gazipur yesterday morning. He found some irregularities in the depot and directed the BRTC chairman to take necessary steps in this regard.
 Recently some BNP leaders alleged before the media that the government was hatching a conspiracy to arrest their party chief Khaleda Zia.
 Meanwhile, AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif yesterday termed the ongoing violence in the union parishad (UP) polls as ‘unexpected’. He attributed the incidents of violence to “social conflict”.
“In a developing country like Bangladesh, social feuds are rather common. The violence and killings in the ongoing UP polls can be attributed to such feuds,” he said while talking to reporters at his residence in Kushtia yesterday morning.
 The AL leader also expressed deep sympathy on behalf of the ruling party for the bereaved families who lost their near and dear ones in poll-related violence.  He urged people not to engage in violent activities.
 About the recent killing incidents across the country, Hanif, also a lawmaker of the ruling AL, said BNP-Jamaat activists were carrying out these killings in the name of IS and other militant organisations, even though there was such organisations have no presence in the country.   
 “We’ve been trying to tell people that terrorist outfits like IS don’t exist here. But the BNP-Jamaat combine has resorted to secret killings in the name of such organisations to destabilise the government,” he added. Meanwhile, Awami League Presidium Member Mohammad Nasim yesterday said the ruling party doesn’t pursue the politics of vengeance and that’s why there is no desire from the party to arrest anybody. “Why would we arrest BNP chief Khaleda Zia? Had AL believed in the politics of vengeance then the trial of the Bangabandhu murder case would have been held in a special tribunal. But, we didn’t do so. We have no desire to arrest anybody,” he said responding to a recent comment of BNP leaders over the issue. Nasim, also the health minister, said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the national convention of Bangladesh Homeopathic Council at the auditorium of the Institution of Engineers at Ramna in the city. He also said the judiciary is completely independent in the country. “If a court issues arrest warrant for anybody then what can we do,” he asked. The AL senior leader also called upon BNP chief Khaleda Zia to give up politics of violence. “Stop your politics of torching people, public and private properties. You can’t kill people in the name of politics. People of Bangladesh can never pardon you for what you have done in recent times in the name of forging movement,” he said.

No govt plan to arrest Khaleda, says minister

Road, transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said the government does not have any plan to arrest BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the near future. Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, at a separate programme, also made a similar comment. I dont have any information about this, though some of her (Khaleda) party leaders were speaking about it before the media, Obaidul Quader added. Obaidul Quader, also a presidium member of the Awami League (AL), was talking to reporters during his sudden visit to the BRTC bus depot in Gazipur yesterday morning. He found some irregularities in the depot and directed the BRTC chairman to take necessary steps in this regard. Recently some BNP leaders alleged before the media that the government was hatching a conspiracy to arrest their party chief Khaleda Zia. Meanwhile, AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif yesterday termed the ongoing violence in the union parishad (UP) polls as unexpected. He attributed the incidents of violence to social conflict. In a developing country like Bangladesh, social feuds are rather common. The violence and killings in the ongoing UP polls can be attributed to such feuds, he said while talking to reporters at his residence in Kushtia yesterday morning. The AL leader also expressed deep sympathy on behalf of the ruling party for the bereaved families who lost their near and dear ones in poll-related violence. He urged people not to engage in violent activities. About the recent killing incidents across the country, Hanif, also a lawmaker of the ruling AL, said BNP-Jamaat activists were carrying out these killings in the name of IS and other militant organisations, even though there was such organisations have no presence in the country. Weve been trying to tell people that terrorist outfits like IS dont exist here. But the BNP-Jamaat combine has resorted to secret killings in the name of such organisations to destabilise the government, he added. Meanwhile, Awami League Presidium Member Mohammad Nasim yesterday said the ruling party doesnt pursue the politics of vengeance and thats why there is no desire from the party to arrest anybody. Why would we arrest BNP chief Khaleda Zia? Had AL believed in the politics of vengeance then the trial of the Bangabandhu murder case would have been held in a special tribunal. But, we didnt do so. We have no desire to arrest anybody, he said responding to a recent comment of BNP leaders over the issue. Nasim, also the health minister, said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the national convention of Bangladesh Homeopathic Council at the auditorium of the Institution of Engineers at Ramna in the city. He also said the judiciary is completely independent in the country. If a court issues arrest warrant for anybody then what can we do, he asked. The AL senior leader also called upon BNP chief Khaleda Zia to give up politics of violence. Stop your politics of torching people, public and private properties. You cant kill people in the name of politics. People of Bangladesh can never pardon you for what you have done in recent times in the name of forging movement, he said.