BNP vows to deal Tarique conviction legally
Party stages demonstrations at places
BNP staged demonstrations at different places across the country yesterday demanding the withdrawal of all cases against party chief Khaleda Zia and senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, and said it would handle the issue of Tarique Rahmans graft conviction legally and politically. Speakers at several programmes also termed the sentencing of Tarique Rahman in a money laundering case a government conspiracy against the Zias family to keep them away from politics.
We will fight the case against Tarique Rahman both legally and politically, he said while speaking to journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his return from the UK. The government wants to keep him (Tarique) out of politics and the conviction resulted from political vengeance, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said. Expressing frustration over the High Court verdict that sentenced Tarique Rahman to seven years of imprisonment and a fine of Tk 20 crore on charges of money laundering, he said: Being revengeful, the government moved the High Court to scrap the trial court verdict that acquitted Tariq. Our leader was denied justice.
On November 17, 2013, a Dhaka court acquitted Tarique while sentenced his friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun to seven years along with a fine of Tk 40 crore in the ACC case filed for illegally sending Tk20.41 crore to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
Replying to a question, he alleged that the government did not want national unity to combat militancy and terrorism. Thats why the government keeps creating issues to divert the peoples attention, he added.
BNP chairpersons adviser Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Sabihuddin Ahmed, Nitai Roy Chowdhury and Barrister Rumin Farhana also returned home with the BNP secretary general.
Led by Alamgir, a BNP delegation went to London on July 16 to attend a seminar in the House of Commons on issues centred on Bangladesh.
Replying to a question, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said different issues, including the countrys political situation, lack of democracy, human rights abuse, extra-judicial killings and economic affairs came up for discussion at the seminar.
At a programme in the capital, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi accused the government of trying to foil the partys pre-announced protest programmes at different places in the country.
He claimed that members of law enforcers have carried out attacks at homes of the party leaders and activists on Friday night and created panic among them. Dhaka city unit of the BNP could not stage any demonstration or rally anywhere in the city, he said.
City unit BNP joint convener and party standing committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy said that they could not hold their planned meeting at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh as police did not give them permission.
The city BNP however will organise a protest meeting at the National Press Club at 3pm today protesting the sentencing of Tarique Rahman in a money laundering case.
Meanwhile, our correspondents from different districts and cities report that the BNP held protest meetings in front of their party offices but police did not allow them to bring out processions.
Our Chittagong Bureau reports that police foiled the procession brought out by Juba Dal in Chittagong protesting the High Court verdict of seven-year imprisonment and fine of Tk 20 crore for Tarique Rahman.
When the leaders and activists of Juba Dal brought out a procession, police chased and forced them to go inside the BNP office.
Our Khulna correspondent said the city unit BNP held a rally in front of the party office at Sadar Thana intersection.
Our Rajshahi and Barisal correspondents also report that the respective city unit of the party held separate rallies in front of the party office but police did not allow them to bring out processions.
