Law minister Anisul Huq yesterday claimed that members of Bangladesh Chhatra League were not involved in the attack on daily Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman and the name of the ruling party affiliate student body was implicated in the incident. In response to a query from reporters, the law minister outright rejected the allegation levelled against the Bangladesh Chhatra League over the attack on Mahmudur Rahman in Kushtia. “Chhatra League was not involved in the attack, but its name has been implicated in the incident,” he said.

The law minister also advised the BNP to “replace” Moudud Ahmed, citing the latter's demand for his resignation over the attack on Mahmudur Rahman. Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman was attacked in Kushtia court on July 22, allegedly by Chhatra League men, after securing bail in a case filed against him for allegedly demeaning Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Former law minister and BNP leader Moudud Ahmed had demanded the resignation of law minister Anisul Huq over the issue. “A serial bomb blast was carried out on the court premises across the country when Moudud Ahmed was the law minister. Two judges were killed. At that time, Moudud did not resign as the law minister.

Now, he has demanded my resignation. Therefore, the BNP should replace him within the party,” Anisul Huq told reporters. He was attending as the chief guest a workshop for lower-court judges and lawyers at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka.

In response to another query, Huq said that the Prime Minister would declare the size of the election-time government in due course.

Law secretary Abu Saleh Sheikh Md Jahirul Haque presided over the workshop. Judicial Administration Training Institute director general Justice Khandaker Musa Khaled and Japan Chukio university professor Kazto Inaba, among others, also addressed the gathering.