Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader has justified the cases filed against top BNP leaders, saying that the police have filed the cases as the leaders are engaged in hatching conspiracies against the government. “We don’t want to accuse the BNP leaders illegally. But they have been sued for specific allegations. As far as I know, top BNP leaders are engaged in hatching a blueprint for sabotage in the name of launching a movement ahead of the upcoming national polls,” he said.

Quader, who is also the road transport and bridges minister, was addressing a function, which was organised to mark the 51st founding anniversary of Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal, at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in the city yesterday. “If police file a case against anybody for any specific allegation, then why would it be a harassment case?” he said.

If the BNP leaders think themselves as innocent, they can move the court, he added. Earlier, a case was filed with Hatirjheel police station on Sunday against some top BNP leaders including BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul, standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Moudud Ahmed, Nazrul Islam Khan, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Moyeen Khan.

Addressing as the chief guest of the function, Quader said that his party would like to forge unity with the country’s left-leaning political parties, including Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), based on consensus of secularism.

“Let’s form unity on the basis of minimum points. Where’s the problem?” Quader made a call to leaders of the country’s left-leaning political parties.

“We too want to forge national unity against communal and anti-Liberation forces. We would like to forge national unity with all pro-liberation forces,” he said.