BNP blasts PM for rejecting all polls-time govt formulas
A Dhaka court accepted on Tuesday charges against 41 opposition leaders, including BNP leader Moudud Ahmed, in a case filed for torching vehicles and creating panic among people in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on March 6, reports UNB.
After scrutinising the relevant documents, Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan of the Speedy Trial Court-6 took cognisance of the charges against the opposition men.
On March 23, police submitted the charge-sheet to the court against the 41 leaders and activists of the opposition alliance in this connection.
Among them, seven top opposition leaders — Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Amanullah Aman, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Barkatullah Bulu and Alal — are now in jail while others absconding.
The court also fixed April 29 for submitting a compliance report on the arrest warrant against the rest 34 opposition men.
The names of three other opposition activists were dropped from the charge sheet as their involvement was not proved during the investigation.
Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member MK Anwar on Tuesday slated Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina for rejecting all the new formulas proposed by different organisations over polls-time administration.
“A number of leaders and activists belonging to your (Sheikh Hasina) party are in favour of caretaker government (CG), but you’re against it. Whenever someone is talking about any other (poll-time) administration, you’re biting all raising hood. TIB (Transparency International Bangladesh), human rights bodies none is spared by you,” he said.
MK Anwar was addressing a protest rally organised by Shikkhak Karmachari Oikya Jote (SKOJ) in front of the National Press Club, demanding the release of Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman.
On Saturday, just a day after TIB’s proposal to form an 11-member polls-time government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina turned down all the new formulas that came from various quarters for making the next election credible.
Accusing the government of carrying out repression on the opposition, MK Anwar said, “There’s no peace in people’s minds. Opposition leaders and workers are subjected to extreme torture. Now they (govt) have launched coercive acts against mass media.”
Coming down hard on the government over Mahmudur Rahman’s arrest, the BNP leader said, “This government can’t tolerate its opponents’ views. They’ve closed down Amar Desh printing press after arresting its acting editor Mahmudur Rahman.”
Referring to the post-liberation war Awami League (AL) regime, the bureaucrat-turned politician said, “They had established a one-party BKSAL rule and shut down all but four newspapers.”
Renewing their demand for the restoration of the caretaker government (CG), the former minister said, “Caretaker government is now the demand of the people. There’s still time for the government to restore the non-party CG system. Don’t push the country towards destruction.”
He also urged the government to show respect to democracy through reinstating the caretaker government system in the constitution.
Mentioning that there has been resistance in every house against this government, he said the ruling Awami League will not be able to foil their ongoing movement over the caretaker government issue.
Former Dhaka University (DU) pro-vice chancellor AFM Yusuf Haider and former DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Prof Sadrul Amin, among others, addressed the rally held with SKOJ president principal Selim Bhuiyan in the chair.
Source: The Financial Express
