BNP keeps silence, again
The BNP has remained silent, also this time, over the execution of the condemned war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali. The party did not issue any statement or press release on the Supreme Court verdict on the review petition of Quasem. Party leaders also avoided journalists to make any comment over the judgement. Jamaat is a key political ally of the BNP and a member of the BNP-led 20 party alliance. BNP Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said there is no scope to make any comment over the verdict since the SC passed the order after completion of all the judicial procedures. I personally have respect on the SC verdict, he said. When contacted, BNP Standing Committee Member ASM Hannan Shah also declined to make any comment over the verdict. Earlier, the BNP leaders had also remained silent following the apex court verdicts leading to the execution of Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mujahid, Mohammaed Quamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah. However, when the apex court upheld the death penalty to BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, in a reaction, the party alleged that Chowdhury was deprived of justice. A five-member Appellate Division panel headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha pronounced the verdict on Tuesday morning, rejecting Mir Quasems appeal to review his death penalty.
